WHL Bantam Draft Prospect: Jaxon Nelson

Player: Jaxon Nelson

Position: Forward

Team: Luverne(MN) High School

2014-2015 stats: 25 games 41-42-83

The first thing that stands out about Jaxon Nelson is his size. He's very physically mature for his age. He's listed at 6'2" 185 lbs., and is very strong. Playing for a small high school, he put up eye-popping numbers against very weak competition during the high school hockey season.

His skating is serviceable for a player his size. He also played for his high school's football team, so he's naturally athletic. He has the vision and hands to see cutback lanes and maintain puck possession when he can't outskate players. His best asset is his shot, which because of his strength, is incredibly advanced for his age. He also handles the puck well with soft hands.

The biggest area for improvement is his ability to pass the puck and use his teammates, a side effect of playing in a small town and not seeing a lot of high-end competition.

There is always some concern about players that are that big at such a young age leveling off in development, but there's the added consideration with Nelson that he is so raw coming out of a non-traditional hockey area that makes him intriguing.

Nelson already has a verbal commitment to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.