EDMONTON -- Without a first-round selection at the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers felt it was important to find a solid prospect in the second round, and believe they did in Beau Akey.
The 18-year-old defenseman from Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League was chosen by the Oilers at No. 56, a few days before attending Edmonton's development camp earlier this month. Akey (6-foot, 173 pounds) was ranked 33rd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting going into the draft.
"He's smooth," said Colin Chaulk, coach of Bakersfield of the American Hockey League, who ran Edmonton's development camp. "When you talk to him, he's real attentive and it seems like his ears get larger, because he's really trying to soak in everything you're saying to him. My first impression of him is that he's smooth, he definitely has some good pivoting ability and good skating ability with the puck. He looks like he's able to move the puck with grace and also a little velocity. There is some heat on his passes."
Akey had 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists) in 66 games for Barrie last season and five points (two goals, three assists) in 13 OHL playoff games.
"I would describe myself as a smooth-skating, two-way defenseman with a bit of an offensive edge," Akey said. "I thought my season was really good. We had a good team, but we just fell short in the second round of the playoffs."
Akey will return to Barrie this season for his third year in the OHL. He turned some heads at development camp but faces a long road ahead before challenging for a spot on an NHL blue line.
"He's young and he's green, but he's looking around and trying to take in as much as he can," Chaulk said. "He made a good first impression with some of the things we stressed for defensemen, like boxing out and winning net-front battles.
"Coming in here, he had never felt that against professionals, guys who have over 100 games in the AHL, and now when he goes to an NHL camp, he'll have felt it a little bit. Then when he gets to the American League, he'll have a better understanding of what it's like boxing out and breaking out the puck under severe pressure."
Akey said getting bigger and stronger is a priority for him, and already has put in a lot of time in the gym -- and will continue to do so -- in order to be heavier on the puck.
"That's kind of always been my weakness, is not having that weight to me," he said. "I just want to keep doing what I've been doing, working hard and try to keep getting better every day. I think if I'm getting that one percent better every day, I think things will work out for me."
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July 16, 2023 at 09:00AM
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Akey's 'smooth' approach makes him intriguing Oilers prospect - NHL.com
"smooth" - Google News
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