Carson Rehkopf, selected No. 50 overall by the Seattle Kraken, is a 6-foot-2 shot-first, scoring winger. He played with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this season.

Quick thoughts on the pick

One day after the Kraken invested in a high-upside left-shot winger with a safe floor of point production, drafting Eduard Sale with pick No. 20, the team returned to the same script with their first pick in the second round, tabbing Rehkopf at No. 50. The Elite Prospects team puts it this way: “Rehkopf is one of the most polarizing players available from the OHL this year. His strong athletic profile makes him a very intriguing player to scouts, but many are concerned by the varying engagement levels.” We heard similar things about Sale. That said, Rehkopf produced well enough to justify a pick in this range, checking in at No. 39 overall in our consensus analytics ranking. If there’s more production in the tank with increased consistency, this will start to look like a strong value pick in the years ahead.

Carson Rehkopf player profile

Left wing | Kichener Rangers (OHL) | Age: 18 | Height: 6’2.5″ | Weight: 195 lbs | Left shot

Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts
2021-22	Kitchener Rangers	OHL	65	18	15	33
2022-23	Kitchener Rangers	OHL	68	30	29	59

What does the Big Board say?

Rehkopf was ranked at No. 48 on the Sound Of Hockey Big Board. His highest ranking was No. 36 by both DraftPro and Peter Barachinni of The Hockey News. He was a consensus second rounder in the range of Seattle’s selection.

How does he look on the ice?

What are scouts saying?

“Rehkopf’s NHL argument is all about his toolkit and less about his production. He has a rare combination of speed, skill and size. When you see a 6-foot-2 forward jet up the ice and beat guys one-on-one like Rehkopf can, it’s easy to dream on what he will be in the NHL. He’s a shot threat from range, often beating goalies from the dots. While he can score from outside, I’d like to see more interior attacks from Rehkopf, especially given his frame. He has playmaking in his game, as I’ve seen Rehkopf execute high-difficulty passes and make plays, but that part of his game needs to be more consistent.” – Corey Pronman of The Athletic

Where can I find more information?

• Corey Pronman of The Athletic (link) ($$) ranked Rehkopf No. 39 overall
• Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (link) ($$) ranked Rehkopf No. 47 overall
• Chris Peters of FloHockey (link) ranked Rehkopf No. 44 overall
• Smaht Scouting (link) ranked Rehkopf No. 74 overall
• Brock Otten (McKeen’s) (link) goes in depth with a video scouting report on Rehkopf

Last thoughts

Seattle built a base of solid prospects in the 2022 draft, but if there was a criticism of the players in the system, it was that there weren’t many players with top-of-the-lineup ceiling beyond Shane Wright. Through two picks in 2023, the Seattle Kraken seem to have made high-end tools a priority. Sale has top-line potential, and Rehkopf could blossom into a top-six forward too. That said, there is a bit of risk in both of their profiles that they may not have the compete level or hockey sense to translate to the next level. It will be fascinating to follow them both as they (likely) go up against each other in the Ontario Hockey League next year.