A deep dive into 2024 NHL Draft prospect and Brandon Wheat Kings' defenceman Charlie Elick.

The WHL is set to play a significant role in this year's 2024 NHL Draft. 57 players were included on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, with a handful expected to be drafted in the first round. Today's draft profile is of Brandon Wheat Kings' Charlie Elick, who enters the draft as the 31st-ranked North American Skater.

If a team is looking to add a rugged, defensive defenceman, Elick could be that guy. The Brandon Wheat Kings defender has developed into one of the best defenders in this draft class and played a pivotal role for Team Canada at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18s over the last year. Opponents better keep their heads up when they have the puck, as Elick is not scared to throw massive hits all over the ice. 

One underrated part of Elick's game is his skating. He loves to skate the puck up the ice and can defend against the transition game with ease. Elick has also shown an ability to catch speedy forwards who may get past him while also winning icing races that his peers may not be able to win. 

In the defensive zone, Elick uses a combination of physical play and stick position to make it difficult for the opposition to maintain puck possession. Elick also makes it very difficult for opponents to set up in front of his goaltender, as he consistently wins positioning battles thanks to his physicality. Listed at 6'3", 194 pounds, he understands how to utilize his size, which makes him one of the more frustrating defenders to play against.  

As Elick continues to develop, one area he needs to improve is the offensive side of his game. He does tend to overskate the puck and needs to work on becoming a more consistent shooting threat from the point. If he can work on his play in the offensive end, as well as his passing in the transition game, Elick has the potential to become a threat at both ends of the ice. 

Elick will have plenty of interest at the NHL Draft. Teams are always looking to add a right-shot, hard-hitting, defensive defenceman, which bodes well for Elick. A potential late first-round pick, Elick has all the tools to become an effective second-pair defender who kills penalties at the NHL level. 

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