The WHL is set to play a big role in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Leading up to the draft, we at The Hockey News will be profiling some of the players who are projected to hear their names called at the end of June. Today's prospect is defenceman Blake Fiddler, who plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Fiddler may be the son of longtime NHL veteran Vernon, but the blueliner is making his own path to the big leagues. Standing in at six-foot-four and over 200 pounds, the Frisco, TX native is an imposing presence on the blue line.
Fiddler does best in a north to south situation; meaning, he can often be relied upon to take the puck up the ice and uses a sneaky amount of speed to do it. It may not always be a solo effort, as Fiddler can use his height and vision to scan for a passing lane and speed up zone entries.
When it comes to getting to the dirty areas of the ice, the Oil Kings defender can certainly use his frame to dislodge his opponent from a puck. Many times over the course of the season can Fiddler be seen growing into his frame and getting more comfortable in the corners, as he's been elevated up the lineup.
As far as creating offensive chances, it may not quite be polished but the potential is there. Again, using his vision to scan for a shooting lane, but more often than not isn't incredibly shifty along the blue line and ends up getting blocked or deflected. With that said, Fiddler does have a good shot as it's gotten him 10 goals in 2024-25, with 23 assists on top of that to increase his production from his rookie campaign more that two-fold.
While Blake Fiddler may not be the flashiest defender on the ice, his reliability and potential can make him a great project going forward. Projected to go somewhere from the mid-20s to early-30s in the 2025 NHL draft, this one will be an interesting one to watch.
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