Peyton Kettles — 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Peyton Kettles

2024-25 Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Date of Birth: Sep. 1, 2007
Place of Birth: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height: 6-foot-5, Weight: 194 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible

Rankings

If you like a big-bodied defenseman who can shut down an opponent’s top forward line, then Swift Current Broncos defenseman Peyton Kettles is a player you will love to watch. Kettles is constantly matched up against the opposing team’s top players, whether it is in special teams play or at five-on-five. There isn’t a lot of flash to his game, just a fundamentally sound and smooth approach.

One aspect where Kettles seems to excel is in his transition defense, where he utilizes his reach to his advantage, breaking up passing lanes. He demonstrated this several times throughout the season, especially on odd-man rushes. Whether it was a two-on-one or even a three-on-one, he played the situations very well and broke up the rush more than expected. Tied in with his strong positioning on rushes, he also has great hand-eye coordination to use his stick to break up plays, and makes it look easier than it really is in the process.

Peyton Kettles Swift Current Broncos
Peyton Kettles, Swift Current Broncos (Steve Dunsmoor / Kelowna Rockets)

In the more conventional, straight-up defensive play, Kettles’ stick work continues to shine. While he stands at 6-foot-5, he does not necessarily use his body as much as some may expect him to. However, when he does use it, he makes it count and uses it wisely. He relies more on his strong gap control and stick work to lock down opponents and keep them out of high-danger areas on the ice.

Once Kettles does get the puck on his stick, he may not be flashy with it, but he does have a good skill set to get the puck up the ice. His patience with the puck helps him become a strong breakout starter, whether it be a short outlet pass, a cross-ice pass, or even a stretch pass. The skating ability of the big man is strong enough to lead a rush through the neutral zone if needed, but working on his explosiveness is an area of focus. When he gets into the offensive zone, his game is still a work in progress, but he seemed to gain more confidence in his game throughout the season. He has no problem getting into the mix down low and uses his size to maneuver to the front of the net to make a play on the puck, while also having no issue firing the puck on net himself.

Overall, a shutdown defenseman who has the potential to become a two-way presence on the ice will certainly appeal to NHL organizations. Some of Kettles’ game will make him a longer-term project, but if he can develop his game, there is a strong chance he will make a strong impact at the NHL level.

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Peyton Kettles — NHL Draft Projection

The shutdown defense that Kettles plays, along with the flashes he has shown offensively, will be noticed by NHL organizations at the end of the month when the draft comes around. He may not play the type of game that someone like Matthew Schaefer or Jackson Smith plays, but having the ability to be that lockdown defender could help see him being picked toward the end of the third, early in the fourth round.

Quotables

“Kettles didn’t put up many points in Swift Current, but he wasn’t afraid to absolutely blast someone. The 6-foot-5 defender takes up a ton of space, defends well and is decently mobile for his size. He can kill penalties, and I actually think he’s better offensively than his offensive numbers would suggest. Kettles also plays a ton of minutes, which is never a bad thing.”- Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide

“In the defensive zone, Kettles consistently gets in shooting lanes to block shots and uses his reach to disrupt the flow of play low in the zone. He does a solid job of killing plays and preventing the puck from reaching dangerous areas. The advantage of his size usually comes from leaning on opponents and using efficient methods to separate man from puck rather than looking for the big hit.”- Kareem Elshafey, Future Considerations

Strengths

  • Stick work defensively helps shut down chances and odd-man rushes.
  • Hand-eye coordination leads to the ability to knock down cross-ice passes and passes to the middle of the ice in the defensive zone.
  • Solid puck mover to help start breakouts with good outlet passes and is patient with the puck.
  • While not overly physical, he uses his body wisely when he throws hits.
  • Ability to play in any situation, special teams and five-on-five.
  • Has shown flashes of becoming more involved offensively as he does not shy away from shooting the puck.

Under Construction — Improvements to Make

  • Continuing to become more confident offensively will help take his game to another level.
  • Skating ability is solid, but working on becoming more explosive is an area that needs development.
  • He does use his body wisely, but becoming a more physical presence would help him elevate his defensive game to an even higher level.

NHL Potential

Kettles has the defensive playing style to make him an NHLer, but if he can develop his offensive game and make a few improvements elsewhere, he could turn into a bottom-four pairing defenseman. Worst-case scenario, he becomes a shutdown defenseman on a third pairing who can also play on the penalty kill when called upon.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk: 2/5 Reward: 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 5/10 Defense: 7/10

Awards/Achievements

  • 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Canada)- Gold Medal
  • 2023 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge (Canada Red)

Peyton Kettles Stats

Videos

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