<p>It turns out that Connor Bedard isn’t the only recent West Van Warriors Academy Prep hockey team graduate to become an NHL Draft star.</p>



<p>Bedard had one of the best U-15 seasons we’ve ever seen in Canadian prep hockey – shocking absolutely nobody. He scored 64 goals and 88 points in 2018-19, playing alongside Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten. That helped set the stage for Bedard to become one of the NHL’s most elite prospects.</p>



<p>But a year later, a new face entered the conversation: Matthew Wood. He was big, smart and had one heck of a shot. He scored 40 goals that season, good for fourth in scoring behind fellow top prospects Zach Benson and Andrew Cristall.</p>



<p>For Benson and Cristall, the path forward was clear: they were sold on the WHL. Regina ended up picking up Wood, with the potential for him to play alongside Bedard and make one of the best 1-2 punches in recent junior hockey history. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="163"></div>



<p>But Wood had different plans: college. </p>



<p>And that’s considerable, given Wood’s relationship with Bedard. They grew up playing together with the Vancouver Vipers youth program. Wood even lived with Bedard’s family while at West Van. But Wood saw college as the best route for him, forgoing his time with the Pats and potentially taking them up another notch. </p>



<p>That meant spending two seasons with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, which included an incredible 45 goals and 85 points as a draft-minus-one player last year. He was way too good to be playing Jr. A, and worked in the background to ensure he could go to the University of Connecticut a year early.</p>



<p>It worked. He met all the requirements and became the first 2005-born player to step foot in the NCAA hockey ranks this year.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="136"></div>



<p>Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli stole the spotlight among NHL Draft-eligible prospects this year in college. But Wood’s play was incredible, scoring 34 points in 35 games to lead his team as a freshman. Sure, Fantilli doubled that at Michigan, but rookie standouts like Wood are rare, and he did it on a team without the dynamic scoring punch the Wolverines had. So, in perspective, it’s pretty tremendous.</p>



<p>Wood capped off the 2022-23 season with a bronze medal at the U-18 World Championship, showing tremendous chemistry with top 2024 prospect Macklin Celebrini. Wood had seven goals and 13 points, including the game-tying goal that sent the bronze medal game to overtime. He then set up Celebrini in overtime for the winner, capping off a wild four-point night – giving him multi-point efforts in all five of Canada’s wins.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="138"></div>



<p>Like most hockey players, Wood comes off as humble in interviews. It’s all about the team, not individual efforts. After helping set up one of the biggest goals of his life, Wood wasted no time celebrating the work his teammates did. But anyone that saw him play knows Wood was one of the best players in the tournament, regardless of who he lined up beside. </p>



<p>And that’s a common theme at all levels he has played at.</p>



<p>Wood is a big man at 6-foot-4, which NHL teams like. But he doesn’t play like a typical “big” prospect, such as fellow college draft prospect Charlie Stramel. Wood’s game is all about skill, and he has the hands to follow. He led Connecticut in shots, averaging around three a game. And it’s an excellent shot, too, putting significant power and accuracy behind it, and with the confidence to unleash it from most areas of the offensive zone. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="157"></div>



<p>“You don’t see many prospects built like him,” a scout said. “Fantilli and (Leo) Carlsson are both big and skilled, and Wood meets that criteria, too.”</p>



<p>One comparable that comes to mind is Ottawa’s Drake Batherson, a 6-foot-3 forward coming off a 62-point campaign. Batherson quickly became one of Ottawa’s best players over the past few years and should help the team be a consistent playoff threat in the near future. </p>



<p>As for who Wood likes to model his game after, he wears No. 71 in honor of his favorite player, Evgeni Malkin. “I always grew up watching him, he’s great,” Wood said. “He’s big and skilled. I like to play like that. I also like Mikko Rantanen and Tage Thompson, big skilled guys who love to shoot and score from anywhere.”</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="133"></div>



<p>Wood’s skating isn’t pro level yet, but the improvement over the past two years has been noticeable. He’s good in bursts, but doesn’t have the true game-changing, separating speed that’ll allow him to stand out in the NHL.Wood would continue to benefit from extra time in college. He got a nice headstart compared to most of the draft class, but he’s probably another two years away from turning pro. The goal needs to be to continue improving his skating while adding some extra muscle.</p>



<p>“He’s got an excellent frame to work with, but we just need to see more consistency,” a college scout said. “There’s too many nights off. But he’ll make up for it with the best game you’ve seen in a while. He’s exciting, and frustrating, that way.”</p>



<p>Wood was the 15th-ranked prospect in the latest <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2023-nhl-draft-rankings-top-100">Daily Faceoff draft list</a>. Some outlets have him just outside of the top 10, while Elite Prospects’ consolidated ranking has him at 20th. So there’s some varying opinions on the big winger, but most will at least say the potential is intriguing. Wood has the tools to be an effective NHLer, but there’s still space to grow and put that all to good use.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="202"></div>



<p>Here’s one last nugget for you from another scout:</p>



<p>“A decade from now, there’s going to be a lot of teams that regret passing on him.”</p>



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