The next player on our BSH draft board is Blake Fiddler, a steady right-handed defenseman developed with both the US National Team Development Program and with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
Projected to go in the back half of the first round, Fiddler fits into the group of defenseman in the third defenseman tier of the draft. With Matthew Schaefer being the top tier, Radim Mrtka and Kashawn Aitcheson making up the second tier, the third group is a bit more convoluted. It’s probably some combination of Logan Hensler, Sascha Boumedienne, Cameron Reid, and Blake Fiddler that make up the final tier of likely first-round defensemen. Fiddler, among that group, really stands out a mobile, steady right-handed defenseman with size. Fiddler doesn’t play a ‘safe’ game, but out of any of those players, you might feel the most confident that Fiddler has at minimum a NHL floor with plausible second pair upside. So, let’s get into what makes Fiddler a worthwhile player to bet on with a late first round pick.
Pre-draft rankings
No. 29 by The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
No. 22 by Elite Prospects
No. 21 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)
No. 21 by Daily Faceoff
Bio
DOB: July 9, 2007
Birthplace: Nashville, TN
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 209 lbs
Shoots: Right
Statistics
What’s there to like?
When Fiddler is operating at his best, he’s an extremely calming presence on the blueline, and can really dictate with the puck on his stick. It’s what’s made him a top pairing player for the Edmonton Oil Kings and the USNTDP, even if Fiddler has bouts where he’s mistake prone.
There are two things that Fiddler is especially strong at – picking his spots to engage offensively, and using his stick and long reach to anticipate and disrupt the opposition. Offensively, the raw skills aren’t going to wow you with Fiddler, but he’s got all the makings of an effective two-way defenseman that puts up 30-40 points a year in the NHL. He’s selective in when he activates on the rush, frequently noticing when the opposition could be caught with an extra man behind the play. When he’s in the offensive zone, he’s steady as a puck carrier, and particularly effective in getting a low, hard wrist-shot through traffic from the point. That’s why he’s been on the power play for both the USNTDP and the Oil Kings, and why he probably has a spot on a NHL team’s power play unit if he hits (likely PP2).
The rush below is a perfect example of the smart offensive instincts that Fiddler possesses. Noticing that one too many forwards for the opposition was caught in the Edmonton zone, Fiddler jumps through the neutral zone, and is in position for the trailing pass. He then beats the goalie clean with a wrister, something that he’s also been able to do quite often for a defenseman thus far in his career.
Blake Fiddler puts it up high where mom hides the cookies 🍪@EdmOilKings | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/O9AkB8nEnS
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 23, 2025
One more note on his movement through the neutral zone – Fiddler probably moves with the most confidence through this area of the ice. While he can get into some trouble on executing quick exits from the defensive zone (more on this later), Fiddler really skates with confidence through the neutral zone. A good example is in the next clip, where Fiddler stickhandles neatly out of pressure and calmly moves the puck forward. Again, all signs point to the transition game being very strong for Fiddler, especially if he cleans up his initial zone exits.
To his actual in-zone defense, the interesting part about Fiddler is he doesn’t play ‘big’ by the typical expectations of a 6’4” defenseman. Fiddler hasn’t quite learned how to consistently use his body to impose his will on the opposition yet, but what he is quite good at already is leveraging his reach to break a play. No matter how a player comes at Fiddler, 9 times out of 10 he stops the play with his stick, and that’s ultimately going to be very effective in rush/open-ice situations that he deals with moving forward. In the final clip, Fiddler ends a promising rush by likely first-rounder Cameron Schmidt in this fashion.
And finally, another thing to like is Fiddler’s age at the time of the draft. Fiddler will turn 18 in July, and is one of the younger defenseman prospects in this draft class. There could be more runway for Fiddler to grow into his frame, to add a tick or two of raw skill, etc. The thought that there’s more room to grow could inflate his value a tiny bit heading into the draft.
What’s not to like?
As steady as Fiddler is, the best version of Fiddler is probably one where you are not noticing him a lot over the course of a game. Fiddler’s been known to have some suspect decision making, particularly on zone exits. He’s calm, cool, and collected when he’s at his best, but at his worst? His decisions with the puck can be panicked, and this shows the most in the defensive zone. When he’s pressured with the puck, Fiddler has been criticized for unclean exits, for turnovers where he forces the puck in a low probability play, and even for stickhandling his own way into trouble. Will all of these issues, it seems that these things are coachable, unless Fiddler’s hockey IQ is less than the rest of his game makes it appear.
As pointed out earlier, Fiddler also needs to improve upon using his frame to its maximum potential. We’re not saying Fiddler should remodel his game to become overly physical as a 6’4” right-handed defenseman – but if he can combine his plus poke-checking skills with crushing physicality? Fiddler’s defensive ceiling skyrockets, and he becomes a player archetype that NHL teams salivate over. It’ll be interesting to see if he can reach that level.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
If he hits as a player, Fiddler might just be a larger Cam York? Not oodles of offensive upside, pretty stout in his defensive work, and a very respectable transition game. So, he’d fit in pretty well in Philadelphia as an efficient, puck-moving defenseman that hopefully builds in more physicality and offense into his game. There might be a little redundancy in the pipeline with Oliver Bonk and the Flyers abundance of second-pair types at the NHL level, but you can never have too many good players. The Flyers obviously need “the guy” on the blueline, and Fiddler is (with 99% likelihood) not that, but you can never stop adding good players to the pipeline.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Yes. Fiddler is squarely in the range of the Flyers two late first-rounders, depending on the order that the Fiddler-tier of defenseman are picked in. Honestly, a pick for Fiddler is something that could really make sense for the Flyers, especially with what we know of Brent Flahr’s drafting. Just a few years ago, the Flyers maddened tons of people by going with a safer pick in Oliver Bonk, a large, two-way defenseman with solid puck skills and instincts. That’s a pretty similar outlook for Fiddler, who certainly wouldn’t be a sexy pick but a really solid bet on NHL floor and projectability. If the Flyers make a sizable swing at No. 6, similar to what they did with Matvei Michkov in that 2023 draft, look for a player like Fiddler to be taken with one of the late firsts. They are inevitably not going to go all risk with their high picks, and Fiddler’s one of the better bets as a safer pick.
What scouts are saying
“Fiddler is a big, strong, right-shot defenceman who is deployed in all situations for the Oil Kings in the WHL. He’s the son of former NHL forward Vern Fiddler. Blake captained Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament in August and leads by example with his club team. For his stature, Fiddler moves very well off the puck and has the ability to join the rush as an extra layer. Defensively he does whatever it takes to keep pucks out of his net. He gets in shooting lanes to block shots and he’s efficient with his outlets. Fiddler has potential middle pairing upside as a two-way/match-up defenceman.”
– Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
“Fiddler is a defenseman with a lot of NHL traits. To start, at 6-foot-4, he’s much bigger than his father, Vernon. He also skates quite well for his size. Fiddler closes on his checks quite well and gets up the ice efficiently. He competes well on the ice. I wouldn’t call him overly physical, but he works hard to win pucks and make defensive plays. He shows flashes of excellent offensive skill, and on the rush, he’s quite dangerous due to his great wingspan and skill. His vision is just OK. He doesn’t see the ice well and makes too many poor decisions for my liking. I don’t see a true NHL power-play type, but he has enough puck play in his game to go with his great athleticism to be a legit pro prospect.”
– Corey Pronman, The Athletic
“Fiddler got a lot of attention early thanks his size, his smooth skating, and his solid play at the Hlinka tournament over the summer. While still likely a first rounder, Fiddler’s inconsistent play in the WHL has cost him some fans. He uses his reach and skating to close gaps on the rush and demonstrate some physicality, though it is his play with the puck that is less assuring. Fiddler makes some questionable decisions offensively and causes some frustrating turnovers through poor handling. Nevertheless, there is still room for Fiddler to iron out these details and progress into a solid NHLer.”
– Luke Sweeney, Dobber Prospects
With one defenseman coming off the list, we’ll add another late-first round blueliner to our poll – Boston University defenseman Sascha Boumedienne.
“His skating is great — quick, agile, and exceptionally smooth in backward motion. On the breakout, he uses his feet well to snap up retrievals and create separation from the first forechecker, allowing him to make a solid first pass to start the breakout. Defensively, his rush defense is already quite effective, largely due to his strong footwork and long reach. He positions himself well to disrupt plays and doesn’t often get caught out of position. While there’s a lot to like about his skating and transitional game, I don’t see huge upside in terms of his overall skill set. He’s not particularly dynamic or technically gifted beyond his skating and first pass.”
