The WHL’s 2023 NHL Draft crop has been hyped for years. 

It’s not just Connor Bedard. The Saskatoon duo of Riley Heidt and Brayden Yager have posted video-game numbers; the slight but unbelievably slick Andrew Cristall and Zach Benson; and dynamic blue-liners in Lukas Dragicevic and Tanner Molendyk. And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.  

This group didn’t really need a boost, but they received one anyway with a pair of standouts in Samuel Honzek and Gracyn Sawchyn. They sit Nos. 1 and 2 in the WHL rookie scoring race. 

After highlighting those two, we talk a trio of standouts from the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft.  

Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver Giants (2023 Draft)

There’s little doubt that Samuel Honzek was a big get for the Giants. He already had an established name to go along with a full