Inside Wheeler’s Shocking Summer 2025 NHL Prospect Rankings: Who’s the True Future Star?
Last season was a promising one as well. He made an immediate two-way impact and looked like a stud in the AHL, and he got off to a strong start to his NHL career and I thought showed that he belonged, which is pretty rare for a D his age (he turned 21 midseason) and size — though he did hit a bit of a wall in the second half.
As he continues to tweak and figure things out, there’s real promise that he could become a pretty unique No. 4-5 defenseman (if Simashev hits, Utah’s blue line of the future will have a distinguished look with all of that length/mobility). He was an absolute force against his peers in the QMJHL (I thought he really rose to the challenge on a disappointing Team Canada when he was asked to play a first-pairing role in Tristan Luneau’s absence, too) before a shoulder injury ended his season two years ago, dominating play all over the ice. There are still areas where his game can continue to grow, and he has dealt with some injuries that have cost him valuable development time, so for him to already look as strong as he has as a pro and to have made the progress that he has when he has been healthy is quite impressive. He has some upside, and I could see him wearing a letter for Utah someday.
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