Ben Kindel 2025 NHL Draft Profile

Ben Kindel’s on-ice production

Kindel has been a strong player from the moment he stepped into the WHL. He was drafted in the second round of the 2022 WHL Draft. The rookie season was extremely impressive, where he was nearly a point per game player. This season, he took over and helped lead the Calgary Hitmen to game seven of the second round in the WHL Playoffs.

After back-to-back impressive WHL seasons, he may become a first-round pick in the NHL. Going into the 2025 NHL Draft, Kindel’s highest ranking is at 15th overall by Sportsnet and DobberProspects.

Kindel’s strengths

Playmaking

One of Kindel’s best strengths is playmaking. His passing and vision provide him with many opportunities to set up his linemates for success. The fact that he had 64 assists in 65 games played in the regular season speaks for itself. He continued his playmaking into the U18 World Junior Championship. Here, he had six assists throughout the five games in the tournament.

Kindel is another prospect with a strong sense of offence. Something that truly sets him apart is that he is an all-around player. This means he can play at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.

Shot

Another aspect of Kindel’s game that stands out is his shot. He scored plenty of goals this previous season that showcased his ability to pick the corners on net. His playmaking complements this side of his game nicely. He could set up teammates Carter Yakemchuk and Oliver Tulk on the power play, or decide to take his shot. Either way, this makes him a significant threat to the opposing team. It will be interesting to see how he can transition these skills to the NHL level.

Areas of improvement

Physicality

One of the most common aspects the NHL uses to evaluate players is by size and physicality. Unfortunately, Ben Kindel does not check off either of those boxes. He is listed at 5’10” and does not bring much physicality in his gameplay. This attribute can be overlooked in today’s game, as hockey is not as physical as it used to be. However, it does get tough in the playoffs, so it is not something that should be completely ignored.

NHL comparables

Ben Kindel draws a strong comparison to Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens. Both players showcase excellent on-ice vision and possess underrated shooting abilities that make them constant offensive threats. Suzuki makes an outstanding comparison, as he leads one of the NHL’s most famous franchises with skill and maturity. This is something that Kindel will be working towards. Selecting him in the 2025 NHL Draft will be a superb decision by the team that picks him.

Fit with the Flames

Kindel would fit in well with the Calgary Flames because he is a young playmaker that the team desperately needs. The young Flames core of Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, and Zayne Parekh is missing a piece like Kindel. He would be the young playmaker of the future with a great opportunity to learn from Jonathan Huberdeau.

The prospect pool for the Flames lacks some forwards with a right-handed shot. This makes Kindel a prime target for the Flames at the 2025 NHL Draft.

Summary

Overall, selecting Kindel in the first round is a low-risk, high-reward kind of situation. He is coming off a fantastic season with the Calgary Hitmen and is only going to get better as he matures. Kindel has the potential to become a top-six forward in an NHL lineup with a great sense of playmaking. He is not one that teams should overlook in the upcoming draft. Do you think the Calgary Flames try to draft Kindel?

Risk: 2/5

Reward: 4/5

Projection: Top-six forward

Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:

Matthew Schaefer | Michael Misa | James Hagens | Porter Martone | Anton Frondell | Victor Eklund | Roger McQueen | Caleb Desnoyers | Jackson Smith | Jake O’Brien | Carter Bear | Radim Mrtka | Lynden Lakovic | Brady Martin | Justin Carbonneau | Malcolm Spence | Cameron Reid | Logan Hensler | Cameron Schmidt