Elick is ranked 28th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

One defenceman to keep an eye on heading into the 2024 NHL Entry Draft is Charlie Elick. Listed at 6'3" and 199 pounds, the Brandon Wheat Kings right-shot defender is expected to go high in the draft thanks to his smooth skating and strong two-way game. He is a special talent with a bright future at the NHL level. 

Elick is the type of player who is always looking to develop his game. Known for his strong defensive play, he focused on improving in the offensive zone, which has resulted in him setting career highs in assists and points 40 games into the season. As he explains, taking advantage of all the opportunities has been crucial in taking his game to the next level.  

"Coming off of last season's role of more defensively, I felt like I have taken steps further developing my game," said Elick. "I feel like the two-way side of my game may have become further than it was last year. This year, getting more ice time and being a top pair with Quinn Mantei is a big help. But ya know, it's been good so far, and the points are great, but yeah, it comes to the opportunity, and I'm happy to have it."

This season, Elick has spent time adding more physicality to his game. While he has always been tall during his WHL career, he has added some muscle and weight since being drafted in 2021 and is learning to use it to his advantage. This has been one part of his development that he is very proud of, as it should help him once he gets to the pros.  

"I feel like that would be my physicality. I feel like I've been really physical, and it's helped me a lot defensively. Creating chances and things like that would be another one too."

Later this month, Elick will be heading to New Brunswick for the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. This will be the perfect opportunity for him to impress the scouts as he matches up against some of the best prospects currently playing in Canada and the US. It will also be a chance for him to play with former Team Canada teammates, including Cayden Lindstrom, who he played with at the U-17s last year and has battled at the WHL level the previous two seasons. 

"My reaction was awesome. I was excited to be there. So obviously, the rosters that came out today are pretty stacked, and I played against a bunch of them before, so I think it's gonna be a really fun time. I get to see where I've matched up against these guys, so that's going to be pretty cool. Playing on Team Canada with them was a pretty great experience. I'm honoured to be there, and I can't wait to see where I line up against these guys."

While being drafted is Elick's lifelong dream, he is trying to focus on improving every day and getting Brandon into the playoffs. While he thinks about the draft occasionally, he understands that these next few months are crucial, especially if he wants to have his name called in the first round. As he describes, he is ready to put in the work and overcome any challenges that may present themselves between now and the draft. 

"A little bit, but not too much. Just kind of taking it day by day here and trying to improve myself every day is, I think, the biggest thing to me when the draft day comes. It's going to be exciting, but for now, I just have to keep focusing on myself and focus on game by game. And then yeah, build towards the end of the season for playoffs."

Elick continues to improve and has developed into the type of player every team is looking to add at the draft. He can skate well, is strong in his own end and has the ability to create offensive opportunities through his playmaking skills. If he can continue to develop the way he has, it shouldn't be long before he is making an impact at the NHL level.