Defenseman Bode Wilde is one of the riskiest prospects available at the 2018 NHL Draft, but he’s also one of the most talented
The 2018 NHL Draft will be highlighted by defensemen. There are a lot of very good ones available. However, few of them are as high-risk or as intriguing as Bode Wilde. He plays an insanely high-risk game, but his stats show his rewards are worth his high-risk play.
Wilde doesn’t play a traditional game, so teams will have to be patient as he develops. He might have a low floor, but his ceiling rivals that of the best defensemen in the draft.
Prospect Profile
Height: 6’2″ (189 cm)
Weight: 196 pounds (89 kilograms)
Team: USNTDP Juniors (USHL); U.S. National U18 Team (USDP); USA Under 18 (WJC)
Country: USA
Position: Defenseman
Handedness: Right-handed
Date of birth: Jan. 24, 2000
USHL regular season stats: 25 games, three goals, 13 assists, 16 points, 16 penalty minutes
USDP regular season stats: 61 games, 12 goals, 29 assists, 41 points
WJC stats: Seven games, zero goals, zero assists, zero points
Average Prospect Ranking*: 15.75
All profile info is courtesy of Elite Prospects.
* Average prospect ranking is the collective average of a prospect’s four major rankings (McKeen’s, Hockey Prospect, Future Considerations, ISS Hockey)
Strengths
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Wilde plays an up-tempo game. Aside from Rasmus Dahlin, he might be the most talented defenseman in the draft, at least offensively. Wilde also has ideal size and his frame is excellent as well. He possesses one of the best shots in the draft and should be a valuable power-play weapon.
On top of that, Wilde is one of the best skaters in the draft regardless of position. He’s fast, quick, and smart with the puck. Wilde can make plays and lead the rush, which is fairly rare to see from defensemen.
Weaknesses
As mentioned earlier, he plays a very risky game. This is a double-edged sword. There are good things and bad things that come from it. Teams will have to weight that when drafting him. Wilde has the confidence and size necessary to be a top pairing defenseman, but must learn to play smarter.
Wilde also must improve his positioning. He’s gotten away with a lot in juniors because of his skating ability. Wilde won’t be able to do that in the NHL. Luckily, he’s going to the University of Michigan. They have a great history of helping defenseman like Wilde. Recent success stories include Zach Werenski and fellow 2018 draft prospect Quinn Hughes.
Finally, Wilde has to be more consistent. He has amazing games and bad games, as does every prospect. But Wilde’s bad games happen a bit too often. Consistency is something he must improve. At the very least, Wilde must learn how to minimize his bad games.
What They’re Saying About Him
"“He has all of the physical skills to be capable of making an impact.” – Craig Button (TSN)“Big shot, wild pony who is a bit risky even for those who enjoy the new-aged defensemen. Uses size to add bite to his game.” Sam Cosentino (SportsNet)"
Overall Outlook
Wilde has all the tools necessary to be a very successful NHL defenseman. However, he has to work on the mental aspect of the game. Wilde needs to improve his hockey IQ and his positioning. Having said that, he plays with a lot of confidence, which is an excellent thing. Wilde has the trickiest part of the mental aspect of hockey down. Now he must work on being smarter and realizing when it’s OK to play his high-risk game and when he should tone it down a bit.
Next: Post-Lottery 2018 NHL Mock Draft
Player Comparision
He reminds me a lot of Mike Green stylistically. With both players, you take the good with the bad because a lot more often than not, the good outweighs the bad.
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