{"id":469567,"date":"2025-06-01T18:19:55","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T22:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=469567"},"modified":"2025-11-27T18:15:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T23:15:30","slug":"benjamin-kindel-scouting-report-2025-nhl-draft-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/06\/01\/benjamin-kindel-scouting-report-2025-nhl-draft-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Benjamin Kindel Scouting Report: 2025 NHL Draft #21"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Welcome to your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025-nhl-entry-draft-headquarters\/\" target=\"_self\">2025 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters<\/a> right here at Last Word On Sports and Top Shelf Prospects. We have you covered with everything you will need to be ready for the big event. This year\u2019s draft is set to take place on June 27th and 28th, live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Today, we bring you our Benjamin Kindel Scouting Report.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Each day, LWOH will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow our prospect writers\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lastwordbkerr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ben Kerr<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/author\/chasewindsor\/\" target=\"_self\">Chase Windsor<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical draft profiles and scouting reports!\u00a0<em>Last Word On Hockey<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Top Shelf Prospects<\/em>\u00a0bring it to you. Make us your new headquarters for everything\u00a0<em>2025 NHL Draft<\/em>!<\/p>\n<p>People are quickly starting to recognize Benjamin Kindel as one of the highest IQ players in this year&#8217;s draft. Projecting as a two-way center\/winger with elite hockey sense, Kindel&#8217;s game is built upon vision, awareness, and strong habits. While he may not overwhelm with size or raw speed, he constantly influences the game with subtle manipulations, timely reads, and a competitive motor.<\/p>\n<h2>Benjamin Kindel Scouting Report: 2025 NHL Draft #21<\/h2>\n<p>Right Wing\/Center &#8211; Shoots Right<\/p>\n<p>Born Apr 19, 2007 &#8211; Coquitlam, BC, CAN<\/p>\n<p>Height 5&#8217;10&#8221; &#8211; Weight 176 lbs [178cm|80kg]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Also in relation to <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@nhl<\/a> draft&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>if Ben Kindel goes where projected to? IE ~20-35?<\/p>\n<p>Then someone will be getting a close to guaranteed steal.<\/p>\n<p>If he were 6&#8217;2 he would be top 10 pick.<\/p>\n<p>This years Gaudreau, Point, Kaprizov, DeBrincat, Guentzel, Konecny, Bratt, Cristall etc. <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NHL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alexander Appleyard (@avappleyard) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/avappleyard\/status\/1883553785928421664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>Offence<\/h4>\n<p>Kindel possesses an impressive arsenal of offensive skills that, when paired with his exceptional vision and poise, allow him to produce at above-average levels. When on the attack, Benjamin sees the ice well and can successfully feed open teammates for chances. His ability to manipulate defenders with subtle fakes and creative handling opens space, especially in the high slot and bumper areas. Although his shot isn&#8217;t anything special, Kindel has a deceptive release and can let it fly off his inside foot, creating deception and often fooling goaltenders.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BEN KINDEL BACK TO BACK OT WINNERS \ud83e\udd2f <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F9FV5jCpdy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/F9FV5jCpdy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Calgary Hitmen (@WHLHitmen) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WHLHitmen\/status\/1913439783382405458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Through his team&#8217;s 65 games this season, Kindel scored 35 goals and 99 points, leading the WHL in points by a draft-eligible player. He then followed his regular season success with 15 points in 11 playoff games and 7 points in 5 games for <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/02\/20\/team-canada-lineup-change-ahead-2025-4-nations-face-off-final\/\" target=\"_self\">Team Canada<\/a> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/11\/18\/iihf-announces-more-cancellations\/\" target=\"_self\">IIHF World U18 Championship<\/a>. Benjamin has made it clear that he has no problem putting up points, especially in higher-stakes games.<\/p>\n<h4>Defence<\/h4>\n<p>On the other side of the puck, Kindel plays a mature two-way game. Despite his size, he\u2019s a persistent presence on the backcheck, using stick pressure and strong reads to disrupt plays. You will regularly find Kindel supporting below the puck, breaking up centering passes, and winning battles through body positioning and anticipation rather than brute strength. He works hard, battles hard, and doesn&#8217;t give up on plays without a fight.<\/p>\n<p>When shorthanded, Kindel is a force on the penalty kill, pressuring puck carriers and reading play development, while effectively maintaining the defensive structure. Occasionally, Benjamin will become overwhelmed by physically larger opponents, leading to turnovers and lost battles. Despite this, his technique and motor often make up for it, allowing him to outwork and out-position the opposition. Improving his strength will go a long way in ensuring he can maintain that effectiveness at the NHL level.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Nobody&#8217;s <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NHLDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NHLDraft<\/a> stock is rising quite like Ben Kindel&#8217;s!<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WHLHitmen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@WHLHitmen<\/a> | <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WHLPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WHLPlayoffs<\/a> | <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WHLStats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WHLStats<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4oQwmMtKum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/4oQwmMtKum<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1913706673161605191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4>Comparison and Projection<\/h4>\n<p>The two players that come to mind when watching Kindel are <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/05\/11\/nhl-rumours-future-of-minnesota-wild-rfa-forward\/\" target=\"_self\">Marco Rossi<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/05\/16\/minnesota-wild-sign-highly-touted-winger-to-entry-level-deal\/\" target=\"_self\">Minnesota Wild<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/08\/10\/studying-the-process-of-brayden-points-50-goal-campaign\/\" target=\"_self\">Brayden Point<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/05\/05\/nhl-rumours-future-of-tampa-bay-lightning-coach\/\" target=\"_self\">Tampa Bay Lightning)<\/a>. All three are slightly undersized forwards, but think the game at a high level, compete hard, and drive play through intelligence and timing rather than brute force. It&#8217;s not expected that Kindel will produce at a level close to Point, but stylistically, they play similar games. Rossi, on the other hand, may be a more accurate projection in terms of offensive product.<\/p>\n<p>The floor for Kindel is relatively high. He possesses a standout work ethic, two-way production, and an ability to elevate when needed. He&#8217;s a coach&#8217;s player and has the potential to play up and down the lineup. If he can work on adding some muscle while continuing to improve his two-way game, Benjamin Kindel has a bright future in the NHL. Expect his name to be called in the 15-30 range in June.<\/p>\n<p><em>Main Photo: Joe Camporeale- Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to your\u00a02025 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters right here at Last Word On Sports and Top Shelf Prospects. We have you covered with everything you will need to be ready for the big event. This year\u2019s draft is set to take place on June 27th and 28th, live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5452,"featured_media":469605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[309,3172,4547,4548,1279,3462],"tags":[8114,2148],"class_list":["post-469567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl-top-prospects","category-chl","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-nhl-draft","category-nhl-prospects","tag-2025-nhl-draft","tag-scouting-reports"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5452"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=469567"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":469606,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469567\/revisions\/469606"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/469605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=469567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=469567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=469567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}