The most successful draft in Wasserman hockey history features two top-ten picks: Quinton Byfield- 1st round, 2nd overall to the Los Angeles Kings; and Jamie Drysdale- 1st round, 6th overall to the Anaheim Ducks. The seven Wasserman clients selected in total and two clients selected in the top-ten are both record numbers for the agency. Full roster of draft picks:
- Quinton Byfield: 1st round, 2nd pick overall – Los Angeles Kings
- Jamie Drysdale: 1st round, 6th pick overall – Anaheim Ducks
- Anton Lundell: 1st round, 12th pick overall – Florida Panthers
- Luke Evangelista: 2nd round, 42nd pick overall – Nashville Predators
- Will Cuylle: 2nd round, 60th pick overall – New York Rangers
- William Villeneuve: 4th round, 122nd pick overall – Toronto Maple Leafs
- Chad Yetman: 6th round, 172nd pick overall – Chicago Blackhawks
The clients are represented by Wasserman Hockey’s senior agents, comprised of Jeff Jackson, Dave Gagner, Markus Lehto, Judd Moldaver, Simo Niiranen, Pete Rutili and Brett Peterson.
Wasserman’s roster of elite hockey talent is highlighted by NHL stars Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Roman Josi, Tuukka Rask, Aaron Ekblad, Teuvo Teravainen, Alex DeBrincat, Carter Hart, Esa Lindell, Neil Pionk, Connor Brown, Luke Kunin, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Cal Petersen, and Nick Suzuki, among others.
Quinton Byfield made NHL history on Tuesday by being the highest-ever drafted Black player after being picked second by the Los Angeles Kings. He reflected on this fact in an interview with The Athletic. “Having guys like Evander Kane and Seth Jones and P.K. Subban getting drafted and being impact players helped me growing up. Now it is my time and my turn to take that role. It would be special to know that with this new generation that you could make an impact.” He has drawn comparisons to now-teammate Anze Kopitar and Penguins’ center Evgeni Malkin. All three play a thick, rugged, yet skilled game at the center position and can dominate the ice in all areas and zones. It is high praise for Byfield, but he has shown that he deserves the hype.
The Rangers traded former 7th overall pick Lias Andersson to Byfield’s Kings in order to move up in the draft order and select Wasserman client William Cuylle. Cuylle said he plays a “pretty rough and tough game.” He tries to model his game after Tom Wilson. Those may be tough words for Ranger fans to hear after they have watched Wilson torment their team for the last five-plus years. However, after Carolina faced little difficulty entering the zone and staying there in the recent playoff qualifying sweep over New York, Cuylle may be just what the doctor ordered.
Jamie Drysdale is a 5’11” right-handed defenseman from Toronto. He now heads southwest to Anaheim where he joins the rebuilding Ducks. While rebuilding, they do have solid veteran defensemen like Cam Fowler and newly signed Kevin Shattenkirk to help bring Drysdale along. The 6th overall selection is a brilliant skater, capable of quarterbacking a power play and creating offense.
Wasserman Hockey continues to grow as the most comprehensive representation practice in the sport, operating in Canada, the United States, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.