It’s one of the most exciting times of the year in the WHL. Outside of the playoffs, which have been underway for over a month, the WHL Bantam Draft gives fans a glimpse at the next wave of talent entering the league. Over the years, the draft has produced elite players such as Connor Bedard, Gavin McKenna, and Landon DuPont.
The goal here is simple: project who the Tri-City Americans might select while acknowledging just how unpredictable this draft can be.
Players routinely get selected much earlier than expected, and later. A recent example in Tri-City is Aden Bouchard, who wasn’t widely projected inside the top ten in 2024 but ultimately went third overall to Tri-City. Add in the possibility of draft-day trades, and things can shift quickly.
Still, the Americans are in a strong position. With four picks in the top 40, they have a real opportunity to reshape their prospect pool. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where they don’t come out of this draft improved in some way though.
For this mock draft, the focus will be on projecting their first four selections in the first two rounds.
This mock draft is based on a combination of personal evaluation and publicly available scouting reports.
What Tri-City Must Target Early
It’s no secret that Tri-City struggled to generate offense this past season, and that alone should shape their approach, especially with premium picks at sixth and 19th overall.
With four selections in the first two rounds, the Americans have flexibility. They could address both forward and defense, but given the makeup of this draft class, prioritizing offense early feels like the smarter approach.
Simply put, you need goals to win in this league, and right now, Tri-City doesn’t have enough scoring.
The numbers support that. Teams that finished in the top half of WHL scoring during the 2025–26 made the playoffs. If Tri-City wants to take the next step, improving their offensive production has to be the priority in this draft.
6th Overall — Kenzo Gibson
This year’s draft lacks a clear-cut number one overall talent like recent classes featuring players such as Landon DuPont or Gavin McKenna. Because of that, the top of the board feels fluid, and players could go earlier, or later than expected.
That uncertainty creates opportunity.
If Kenzo Gibson is still available at sixth overall, he would be an ideal fit for Tri-City.
Gibson spent the season with Burnaby Winter Club U15, where he produced at an elite rate—34 goals and 58 points in just 23 games. He also added four goals in five games at the John Reid Memorial Tournament and was named CSSHL U15 Prep Player of the Month in November.
Beyond the numbers, Gibson checks several key boxes in Tri-City’s draft philosophy. He served as team captain, demonstrating strong leadership qualities, and already possesses a mature physical frame at around 6-foot, 185 pounds.
On the ice, he projects as a power forward. He plays with pace, drives the net, and embraces physical contact while maintaining a natural scoring touch. His ability to generate offense in multiple ways makes him one of the more complete forwards.
For a Tri-City team in need of scoring, Gibson addresses a clear organizational gap. Gibson’s combination of size, skill, and leadership checks off every box that Tri-City look for.
19th Overall — Tyson Wolanski
Things are going to stay interesting here at 19th overall, as Wolanski could very easily be gone by the time pick number nineteen rolls around.
While the focus early should be on adding offense, Tyson Wolanski is the type of player that becomes difficult to pass on if he’s still available.
At 6’2″, 180 pounds, Wolanski already has the physical tools teams covet, and he’s only going to continue filling out. In 29 CSSHL U15 games, he recorded 47 points, still an impressive total for a defenseman.
He plays a physical, disruptive style, can log heavy minutes, and shows strong puck-moving ability that projects well to the WHL level. His overall toolkit points to top pairing upside, with the ability to contribute everywhere on the ice in whatever situation you put him in.
What makes him especially intriguing is the wide range of opinions surrounding him. Some rankings place him inside the top ten, while others have him much lower in their overall rankings.
There’s simply too much upside here to ignore though in my eyes and at 19th overall if he is somehow still around, take a shot on a guy with great physical traits, and plenty of upside who can help you on both ends of the ice.
37th Overall — Brayden Lindsay
Adding size and physicality up front is a plus, and Brayden Lindsay fits that mold well.
The 6’1″, 183-pound left winger brings a combination of skating ability and physical edge that aligns with Tri-City’s identity. He’s the type of player who can be difficult to play against, using his size effectively while maintaining strong pace.
Lindsay produced 23 goals and 36 points in 30 games with Pacific Coast Academy at the CSSHL U15 level. He also saw time playing up at the U17 AAA level, recording five points in five games—an encouraging sign of his ability to adapt against older competition.
His blend of size, speed, and physicality makes him a strong middle-round option, particularly for a team looking to add more presence on the wing.
39th Overall — Luke Trann
To round out this mock draft, the Americans add a mobile defenseman in Luke Trann at 39th overall.
Trann stands out for his skating ability and overall athleticism, traits that are increasingly valuable in today’s game. His mobility allows him to impact play in transition, while his offensive instincts give him potential to contribute on the power play.
During his WHL draft year, Trann recorded 35 points in 22 games with the Prince Albert Pirates AA program, showcasing his ability to produce from the back end.
He combines strong defensive instincts with the ability to move the puck efficiently. With Tri-City already possessing size on the blue line, adding a more dynamic, mobile defenseman helps diversify the group on the blue line while adding on to the strongest part of their prospect pool, the defense.
Final Thoughts
Tri-City, as mentioned, has a golden opportunity to add high-end talent to the organization in the top 40 and add on to what is slowly turning into a stronger prospect pipeline hopefully.
There are multiple directions the Americans could take with these picks, but addressing their need for scoring should be a priority. With the number of selections they hold, they also have the flexibility to take risks, whether that means swinging on upside players, or packaging picks to trade up. Teams like the Kelowna Rockets, who have been rumored to be open to moving the first overall pick, could present interesting opportunities.
Of course, this is still a projection. Drafts rarely unfold exactly as expected, and any number of these selections could go in a completely different direction.
That said, this class appears to have solid depth, and if managed well, it could play a key role in shaping the next competitive window for the Tri-City Americans.
With the right decisions and luck, this draft has the potential to lay the groundwork for a team capable of contending for a WHL championship in the years ahead and is one of the most important drafts in the past few years for Tri-City as they try to get back to their golden days of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
