Draft Profile: Braxton Hunter

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Heading into the VHL offseason means a load of excitement and optimism for most VHL franchises, with an influx of new young talent looking to enter the league. In today's segment we look at potential mid to late round draft pick Braxton Hunter. 

Hunter, who last played in the VHLM with the Saskatoon Wild came into the league with some excitement. Notching a few assists in his first few games, overall Hunter's game did develop during his time with the Wild as he drastically improved on his scoring ability and being able to keep up with considerably more talented players. You could tell that Hunter was outmatched in many of his matchups early on and it is evident in his -13 in 34 games played. Overall Hunter displayed that he wasn't afraid to "mix it up" with other players as he averaged more than 1 major hit per game, Hunter is also not afraid to take the risky play which is shown by his 16 PIM. 

When asked about his thoughts on the draft Hunter had this to say:

"I mean everyone wants to go in the first round and thinks they should go there, and I do too. But I would rather go to a team that has a proven track record for winning and has a great environment. I don't care where I get drafted, 1st, 3rd, 100th round. It doesn't matter to me, I know I'm going to come in and be the hardest working guy on the team and show that I deserve to play." 

When asked about his time in Saskatoon Hunter had the following to say:

 

"I can't say enough good things about Saskatoon, the locker room was a phenomenal group of guys, the management team there is also amazing. They consistently worked with me on how to improve my game and always gave me opportunities to show that I wanted to be there and wanted to make an impact. Just an amazing place to be." 

Overall, when grading Hunter it's going to be difficult to project where he goes and what he becomes at the next level. You could tell that there were moments where he just simply couldn't compete with the best of the VHLM, but there were times where it finally clicked and he was able to play his game. The more consistent he is in being able to play at the speed that the VHL and VHLM requires will definitely determine whether he can make a VHL roster or will be a career VHLM player. 

 

The draft projection for Hunter is that he will go in the 4th to 7th rounds, there are rumblings that there already have been 3 teams that have contacted Hunter's agent that are interested in taking the young Canadian forward. 

 

Draft Profile:

Player: Braxton Hunter
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 225lbs
Age: 17

Pros: Hard worker, VHL ready frame, doesn't shy away from contact.

Cons: Needs to work on Offensive awareness and passing. 

Projected Round: 4th-7th
 

From The Star Pheonix, this is Darren Johansson.