2023 Draft - 1st Pick: Beau Akey (D)

[Seachd]

Discuss!

Click to read more...

 

[Dan Kelly]

Good skating offensive d-man. I'm OK with the pick!

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Seems like a good pick in a good spot. Welcome Beau.

 

[oil Leaks]

 

[McDoused]

Love it! Fantastic value!

 

[Staghorn]

Welcome to Edmonton Beau!!! Awesome pick....

 

[McMozesmadness]

Wonderful skater. Great rush defender. Has some offence. Not overly physical. Upside is high

I would’ve gone a different direction, but I like this pick

 

[Morpheus]

Beau Akey Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Beau Akey, a hockey player from Waterloo, ONT born Feb 11 2005 who was active from 2021 to 2025.

www.hockeydb.com

Need to stockpile some right handed D in the system. I like this pick.

 

[JeffSkinner53]

Nice pick! Right shot D-man, we are low on those in the system

 

[Patch101]

Seems like a good pick, hope we grab a goalie later. Goalie depth is thin.

 

[Soli]

I had targeted Akey going into this after McKenzie's rankings came down. I had a couple players rated higher, but he's a sublime skater that had a strong first half while Brandt Clarke was away from Barrie. Hoping the trajectory continues next season.

 

[Canovin]

I sense Beau might be Akey to our road to the Stanley Cup

 

[Dan Kelly]

Wonderful skater. Great rush defender. Has some offence. Not overly physical. Upside is high

I would’ve gone a different direction, but I like this pick

I'm a little surprised though that the Oilers didn't take Dragicevic though, 75 points, right shooting d-man, and he was just sitting there!

 

[AUAIOMRN]

The higher-rated Dragicevic goes one pick later, will be interesting to see if the Oilers got this one right.

 

[McDNicks17]

Love it. Great pick and great stylistic fit for what the Oilers need.

Probably one of the best skating defensemen in the draft. Really smart transitional defender. Plus outlet passer.

He'll get a ton more offensive opportunity next season with Brandt Clarke moving on.

 

[McDoused]

Bueay akey breaky heart

 

[bone]

While I know little about most players in the draft this year, I was hoping for a right shooting Dman in this spot as it is currently the thinnest spot in the prospect pool.

Him and Dragicevic appear to have been the two best options left out there at that position and they went with the better speed so I'm good with it.

 

[Soli]

@Brock and his final thoughts on Akey pre-draft:

5. Beau Akey - Defense - Barrie Colts
Oliver Bonk has emerged as the top defender available from the OHL in the eyes of many, but for me it's still Beau Akey. I think Bonk is the better two-way defender now, but I think Akey has the higher NHL upside of the two. Akey is among the best skaters in this OHL draft class and the best of the defenders. His impact on the transition game is profound when he's being aggressive as a transporter. He can carve up space and really put pressure on opposing defenses thanks to his elite level top speed and effortless four way mobility. His hands are excellent and his small area skill is good enough to help him weasel his way out of pressure at both ends. Even with Brandt Clarke back in Barrie, I would expect Akey continues to produce offensively (he has so far). However, I think Akey can be a solid defensive player too. The IQ is there, but he just loses too many battles for positioning right now. As he gains strength, I see him becoming a quality two-way player. His elite four way mobility will eventually become an asset at both ends. Depending on how his year finishes out, Akey could be a borderline first rounder for me too. He just seems like the kind of player who doesn't yet realize how truly good he could be.

 

[RipsADrive]

I like the descriptions I'm reading but he does seem quite small compared to the other guy we could have picked.

Hopefully he's still got some room to bulk up a bit.

 

[McDNicks17]

The higher-rated Dragicevic goes one pick later, will be interesting to see if the Oilers got this one right.

Holland seems to value skating with defenders and Akey is a much much better skater.

 

[McMozesmadness]

Brock Otten, great OHL follow, uses TJ Brodie as his NHL comp

I think that’s very accurate

I love upside picks. The more I marinate the more I like this

 

[Canovin]

Doesn't look like a speed demon but he does look like a smooth skating Dman with good offensive instinct

 

[McMozesmadness]

I'm a little surprised though that the Oilers didn't take Dragicevic though, 75 points, right shooting d-man, and he was just sitting there!

Drag has serious issues. Plus with Bouch on this team, hopefully forever, we definitely don’t need Drag

 

[LastWordArmy]

Beau Akey, born February 11th, 2005, from Waterloo, Ontario, is a defender playing in the OHL. The Barrie Colts young right-shot defender stands at 6’0” and 170 pounds. Akey has played two seasons with the Colts. After being drafted 19th overall in the OHL priority selection draft, he went on to score five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 61 games. This season, with a bigger role and experience in his back pocket, he produced 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points in 66 games. A big step forward for the defenseman.

2023 NHL Draft Scouting Report #39: Beau Akey

The OHL has a lot of names in the 2023 NHL Draft, especially at the top. One name that has slipped through the cracks is defenseman Beau Akey.

lastwordonsports.com

 

[oil Leaks]

Hold up, I thought we have no OHL scouts