Wild draft Riley Heidt 64th overall
The Minnesota Wild closed out Round 2 by selecting Riley Heidt with the 64th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Riley Heidt
Position: Center
Height: 5-foot-10.5
Weight: 180 lbs
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
Club: Prince George (WHL)
Nationality: 🇨🇦
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 21st among North American skaters
2022-23 stats
| GP | G | A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George | 68 | 25 | 72 |
| U18 Worlds | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Heidt is one of the top pure playmakers in the draft class - he tied Connor Bedard for the WHL lead with 72 assists.
The Saskatoon native did much of his damage this season on the power play. His 39 assists on the man advantage led the entire WHL, and his total power-play production accounted for 45% of his points.
Heidt has been a touted prospect out of Western Canada for some time. He was drafted by the Prince George Cougars second overall in 2020, behind none other than Bedard.
Heidt's goal-scoring leaves something to be desired - his 25 tallies rank ninth among WHL draft-eligible forwards - but he didn't need to be the primary goal-scorer in Prince George. The Cougars feature Dallas Stars prospect Chase Wheatcroft and draft-eligible Koehn Ziemmer, both of whom surpassed the 40-goal mark this season.
On the international stage, Heidt impressed with Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup early in the year but struggled at the U18s to close out the campaign. However, he did join the U18 squad after the tournament had already commenced.
Heidt will return to the WHL with Prince George next season.
What they're saying
"With high-end vision and playmaking ability, Heidt has potential to be an offensive weapon at the higher levels," wrote FloHockey's Chris Peters. "His skating, however, leaves some to be desired, and that's where I grow a little leery of his potential to fit into a top six."
"Heidt's a highly skilled and intelligent playmaker who can run a power play like a pro and has the hands to break open a shift," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote. "He may need to be pushed to the wing, but if he hits, he could be a Morgan Frost-type of center."
"Off-the-puck detail, defensive-zone exits, and secondary battle became more of a concern down the stretch when games got more difficult, and (that) continued into the U18 worlds with Team Canada," wrote Sportsnet's Jason Bukala. "Has top-six NHL upside when engaged 100%."
Click here to watch Heidt's highlights.