NHL Prospect Profile: Bode Wilde

Statistics

Scout Quotes

Wilde has the potential to become a number one defenseman in the NHL, but he is more likely to slot in as a number two or three. He plays a solid two-way game and can be an important part of a team’s defensive core, playing both power play and penalty kill minutes. He has to continue to refine his game and will need some time before he will be NHL ready. Wilde’s game is reminiscent of a smaller version of Dustin Byfuglien, but this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill level. -Last Word on Hockey

Wilde is one confident teenager, maybe sometimes to a fault, as doing “too much” with the puck is something he’ll have to limit. Especially considering how talented the NTDP forwards are. Still, he is perfectly capable of playing a variety of roles with aplomb — power play quarterback, crease-clearer on the penalty kill, and even neutralizing top opponents. Wilde loves to hammer the disc thanks to a heavy shot, and he has the ability to either create his own shot from up high or finish in a speed rush to the net. Once he crosses center, he is as close to the complete package as they come, and his size and right-handed shot make him an extremely tantalizing prospect with star potential. Wilde’s risk taking can put his mates in jeopardy, so you’d like to see him go through stretches when he puts a premium on sound positioning, and is willing to refrain from deep attacks every single shift. – The Draft Analyst

AJ’s Thoughts

Coming into the year, Wilde was one of my favorite prospects. He’s big, can skate like the wind, and is a jack-of-all-trades defenseman. What’s not to love? There’s a reason he’s being compared to guys like Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Burns. He has the potential to be a dominant possession driver. His skating jumps off the ice when you watch him and he absolutely looks the part of a future star when things are going well.

So why isn’t he at the top of the first round? He’s got great size, is right-handed, and has all the tools to be a star. His decision-making can be a bit questionable as he frequently gets himself into trouble trying to do too much, especially offensively. He also takes far too many chances defensively and takes himself out of position and he’s unable to recover. There are legitimate questions about how well he processes the game because a player who makes the kinds of mistakes he does has a pretty high boom/bust factor to them.

If Wilde is able to put everything together at the next level, he has a chance to be special. Five years from now, we could look back at this draft class and say ‘How in the world did he drop that far?’ Of course, five years from now we could be looking back at the draft and say “Remember Bode Wilde? What potential that guy had.”

Highlights

Avalanche Fit

Really for the first time in Avalanche history, defense just isn’t a huge need for the organization right now. The NHL group is as talented as its been in many years and the prospect pipeline has several legitimate prospects. Wilde is a high-wire act the Avs could afford to take a chance on because their depth at the position means missing on this pick wouldn’t be the large setback it normally is when a team misses on a first rounder. Ultimately, the Avs just don’t need to take the chance but you could forgive them if they decided to take the chance on the raw talent.

Rankings

#13 Hockey Prospect
#12 Future Considerations
#15 McKeen’s Hockey