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 forward Benjamin Kindel, who plays for the Calgary Hitmen.

Kindel is quite an interesting case. Some may have him ranked in their top ten, others perhaps closer to the end of round one. However, there is no denying that the Hitmen forward is going to be an NHL player at some point.

While he may not be the biggest, standing at just five-foot-ten, Kindel plays with the confidence and maturity of a much larger player. Playing on a line with the likes of Oliver Tulk certainly helps, but the 17-year-old is far from getting carried on that unit. 

The point production exploded from season one (from 60 points to 99), and it's not difficult to see why. Kindel's development in his offensive game has been something to witness, as he's gotten very smooth handling the puck and opens up new lanes for himself or his linemates; in addition to this, he's worked himself an even better shot into his arsenal. The British Columbia native has also been seen quarterbacking the Hitmen powerplay, and the extra responsibility has been worn well on his shoulders.

The seemingly lone criticism of Kindel's game is that he may seem to knock down his game a gear at times, but perhaps it's a testament to how projectable his style of play is to the next level as maintaining energy is critical throughout a long season. 

Whichever team is lucky enough to snag Kindel on June 27 will be quite happy with themselves.

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