[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Rapid River Edition):

I've seen LW Clarke Caswell bounce all over the map since the start of the season in various Draft lists and mocks, but his situation seems to improving with the arrival of Conor Geekie to the Swift Current Broncos before the WHL trade deadline. A sample size of Caswell's last 10 games shows him putting up 14 points, and he currently (no pun intended) leads the Broncos by 7 points, with 66 points in 60 games. The Broncs took Caswell 6th overall in the 2021 WHL Draft, and the 5'11",176lb winger plays in all situations for them.

Caswell isn't flashy, and doesn't show any superstar talent, or any high-end tools, but he is both quick and smart. With only 20 goals this season to date, it's apparent that he's more of a playmaker than a shooter. He shows a high level of offensive IQ and vision, and the anticipation to stay one step ahead of the play. He's got creativity, and sharp instincts, and packs a wide array of first-round quality passes that travel from blade to blade, over sticks, between feet, and through triangles, with many of them being the high-danger variety- he is first on the Broncos for passes to the slot per 60. He's highly deceptive, in order to cloak his intentions, using a variety of dekes, toe-drags, look-offs, and fakes to throw off checkers. He's also proficient at drawing defenders towards him, thereby opening up space for him to exploit, and is confident enough to hold on to the puck for the extra second or two he needs when waiting for an opportunity to unfold. He sees the ice well, and knows where to go to support teammates, and make himself a high-quality option for passes. Caswell's shot is hovering around average, and in need of an upgrade, but he has soft hands to beat goalies in tight. He's an efficient forechecker, drives the net, and attacks the middle.

Caswell's other standout trait, besides his playmaking skill, is his skating. He is agile, quick, and can outmanouver opponents with his shiftiness, or lose them with his separation speed. He's very hard to defend off the rush, with his excellent acceleration, and smooth edges- he's always in motion, and keeps his legs pumping. With his puck control and protection skills, he can weave in and out traffic, and aid in transition. Caswell shows a strong desire to make a difference in all 3 zones, and he is trusted with important defensive assignments in Swift Current- he kills penalties, and his coach will put him out to protect leads late in games in short-handed situations with the opposing goalie pulled. There's hustle and grit in his game, with high compete and motor, but at the present time, he's quite thinly built and can be overpowered in battles, or knocked off the puck. His board game has been described as being weak, and he doesn't get involved enough in battles along the wall- but the good news is that he has acknowledged the need he has to build muscle on his frame. There's a way to go for Caswell to round out his toolbox, but he could be a candidate for middle-6 duty in the NHL someday. Look for him to get taken off the board in the 3rd round.