Aside from having one of the coolest names in all of hockey, Wyatte Wylie is demonstrating early on that Ron Hextall may have pulled off another steal in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Wylie has been off to a great start to the season for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. Though there is plenty to highlight, the increased aggressiveness and production on offense stands out the most.
Just this weekend alone, the 18-year-old defenseman showed a drastic improvement in his ability to generate shots and find the back of the net. During Friday’s five-to-three victory against the Edmonton Oil Kings, Wylie failed to find the scoresheet. However, he did generate seven shots on net. Maintaining that level of shot volume can only generate good things. Whether the puck goes in off his stick or deflects off the stick of another, the points will come. The number of shots decreased on Saturday, only five, but Wylie scored his first goal of the season and added an assist. Once again, his effective production led to another Everett victory. This time in the form of a blowout against the Kamloops Blazers. In the last game of the weekend against the Portland Winterhawks, he scored another goal on two shots. Additionally, Wylie recorded a plus/minus of plus-four.
Not sure if you are doing the math, but if you are, you must have noticed that Wylie had a pretty great weekend from a personal standpoint. The young blueliner now has two goals, six assists, and 14 shots in the still-young WHL season. His production is not only helping garner the attention of those who drafted him, but it is also helping his current team win as well. The Silvertips are currently 6-3-0-0 through nine games, having them atop the U.S. Division.
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🚨 WYLIE 🚨
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— x – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) October 15, 2018
What to Watch for With Wyatte Wylie
In today’s style of fast-paced hockey, stay-at-home, defensive-defensemen are less sought out. Offensive-minded blueliners, on the other hand, have never been as desired as right now. If you are a prospect defenseman that can move the puck and provide scoring, you are going to receive attention from the National Hockey League.
In the case of Wyatte Wylie, he needs to continue to demonstrate his offensive abilities. Eight points in nine games might not come off as anything amazing. However, for a defenseman, it’s a great start. Wylie is on pace to shatter his point total from last season. He can ensure this happens by continuing to generate shots. The more seven-shot games the better.
Wylie will look to build off a fantastic weekend of games this Friday when Everett take on the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
