Inside Wheeler’s Shocking Summer 2025 NHL Prospect Rankings: Who’s the True Future Star?
He has quick hands one-on-one, he drops pucks back into his shooting stance effortlessly and he has a beautiful curl-and-drag motion. He has also worked to up his work rate. But his skating is a limiter, and he’s slow out of the blocks/hasn’t made enough progress there over the last couple of years in improving it. When he keeps his feet moving in puck protection, he draws a ton of penalties, but he doesn’t have NHL pace/jump, and he’s not ultra-competitive or a driver. He’s better suited as a playmaker and finisher than a power-forward type (he’ll never be that), but he has become more competitive over time (a little more than he gets credit for). I like the way he slows down the game, adjusts and maneuvers his frame and shades pucks, and I believe he has middle-six and PP2 upside as a winger, even without the speed. There’s some risk he doesn’t become that, though, and doesn’t find a natural NHL role for his game/profile. He needs to find a way to get quicker in order to maximize the rest of his talents, too. This year will be an important test for him at the pro level.
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