Peyton Kettles
Peyton Kettles is a 17-year-old right-shooting defenseman from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The soon-to-be 18-year-old (September 1st) is listed as 6'5 and 194 pounds. If he's available when the time comes for the Leafs to make their selection, it's hard to pass on a 6'5 right-shooting defenseman. He just completed his second season with the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL.
For the Broncos this season, Kettles registered five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 53 games. He will play for the Broncos again next season while he continues to bulk up and fill out his frame. Central Scouting has him ranked 59th overall, so if the Leafs are lucky, he'll fall a few spots and be available when they make their selection.
Kettles is an excellent skater who plays hard and was able to log a lot of minutes for the Broncos. His hockey sense is average, but if you're only looking for a big defenseman who can skate and move the puck, then Kettles is your guy. There are not many defensemen out there with his size who can skate well and move the puck the way he does. He's not the most skilled guy, but that will come with maturity.
He is projected to be a two-way shutdown defenseman. Kettles is at his best in the defensive zone. He consistently gets in shooting lanes to block shots and uses his long reach to break up plays low in the zone. His ability to kill plays and prevent the puck from reaching dangerous areas is his forte.