The Edmonton Oil Kings have had a much stronger campaign than last season as they seem poised to make the playoffs and finally move back into contention within the next several seasons after a couple of tough campaigns. One player who has stood out in a big way and is considered a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is defender Blake Fiddler, who may very well find himself hearing his name called in the first round of the upcoming draft. While he likely won’t break into the top-five or top-ten selections, he has strengths at both ends of the ice that make him an enticing selection for any team looking to bolster their defensive prospect depth.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Fiddler, who is 17 years old, is from Nashville, Tennessee, the son of former NHL player Vernon Fiddler and the brother of Riley Fiddler-Schultz who plays for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). This season with the Oil Kings, he has scored four goals and added eight assists for 12 points through 27 games and will be representing the United States at the upcoming U20 World Junior Championship. In the 2023-24 season, his first campaign in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he scored five goals and added 10 assists for 15 points through 63 games.
Before jumping to the WHL, he played for the Dallas Stars elite program. In the 2022-23 season, he played 53 games in the U16AAA league scoring six goals and adding 15 assists for 21 points. In the 2021-22 season with the U14AAA team, he scored one goal and added two assists for three points through nine games. In the 2020-21 season, he played for the Okanagan U15 Varsity team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) where he scored five goals and added 13 assists for 18 points through nine games.
In an article from The Hockey Writers’ own Andrew Forbes, he spoke about Fiddler stating “At six-foot-four and just over 200 pounds, the younger Fiddler is a towering defenceman heading into the 2025 NHL Draft and one that has clearly been looked upon as a leader in many aspects of his game — donning letter in three of four international opportunities.” Fiddler being a leader both on and off the ice should help his draft stock, and fans who cover prospects should keep their eye out for him, as he continues to fly up mock draft boards.
Fiddler Lacks Offensive Upside, But Defensive Game Stands Out
Having the privilege of watching the Oil Kings live on a nightly basis, it’s clear that Fiddler stands out as one of, if not their strongest defensive-minded defender on the team. Similar to his father Vernon, there is not much of an offensive side to his game, but his defensive IQ alone makes him worthy of using a first-round selection for any team. He shuts down forwards as they enter the offensive zone and forces turnovers while being able to show confidence as he breaks the puck out of the defensive end. He may need another season in the WHL before he’s even considered to make an NHL roster, but he can potentially be a shutdown top-four defender at the professional level.
His skating ability could use some fine-tuning as well. While it isn’t bad by any means, any defensive defender who wants to transition to the NHL should have their skating as one of their biggest strengths. His neutral zone IQ and ability to read the play as an opposing team attacks is impressive, and if he ends up adding an offensive side to his game, he could go down as one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
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