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 Peyton Kettles, who plays for the Swift Current Broncos.

Kettles is a quintessential shutdown defender. While his production did tick up in 2024-25, he reached a mark of just 14 points in 53 games. With that said, there will be a team that picks up his services early in the third or fourth round and be glad they did.

When it comes to squaring opponents off pucks, Kettles tends to use his range and high end gap control to direct traffic into the corners and force attackers to make a move. A towering prospect, standing in at six-foot-five, it's not difficult to see how that could be an asset.

The Broncos leaned on their guy heavily when it came to the late stages of games, and while the actual number isn't available Kettles logged upwards of 23 minutes most nights. This kind of conditioning can be an upside in the long run especially as the Winnipeg native's game matures.

There is a little offensive upside, as Kettles does show some promise carrying the puck up the ice, but there is some polishing to be done. At times, he will simply throw the puck to an opponent, or end up fumbling the puck when he has an available target.

This will be a project, but one that can pay major dividends for a team that's looking for a dependable closer on their bottom pair.

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