The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to rebuild their hockey team to be competitive sooner rather than later. In the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft, with the 66th overall selection, they selected William Whitelaw. Why does this name sound familiar? It is because he will be playing collegiate hockey next season for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Columbus Blue Jackets Draft Wisconsin Badger William Whitelaw
William Whitelaw last season played in Youngstown for the USHL. In 62 games last season, he scored 36 goals and recorded 25 assists, along with a plus/minus rating of 11. In nine postseason games, William Whitelaw scored five goals and recorded four assists, along with a plus/minus rating of 3.0. The Blue Jackets hope he can produce like that at the NHL level one of these days.
Before that, the Wisconsin Badgers hope he can light the lamp quite a bit in 2023-2024. They will have a few other NHL prospects on their roster next season. The Columbus Blue Jackets have yet to sign him to an entry-level deal, and it will take a couple of years to do so. If he does well in college, that is when Columbus will probably sign him to an entry-level deal.
He was ranked differently on different websites. Some had him as high as a first-round pick, and some people had him as low as a third-round pick. William Whitelaw is a very good and prolific skater with a ton of upside on offense.
Whitelaw is a centerman and is 5’9″ and weighs 174 lbs, and has a right-handed shot. He is only 18 years old and from Rosemount, Minn. William Whitelaw will be a must-watch next season in college. There have been players that have gone on to play in the NHL when being selected in the third round of the NHL Draft. William Whitelaw hopes to be successful not only for the Wisconsin Badgers but also for the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.
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