Projected as a late-first round or early-second round prospect, Blake Fiddler seeks to be a successful second-generation NHLer.
Considering the current makeup of the New Jersey Devils roster, most would reasonably expect the team to target forward prospects with their second round picks. However, the best drafting is often not drafting for what you need now, but what you will need in five years. In the that spirit, today’s prospect profile will be of Blake Fiddler, a 6’4” right-handed defenseman.
Who is Blake Fiddler?
Blake Fiddler was born on July 9, 2007 in Nashville, Tennessee, back when his father, Vernon, was a member of the Predators. Listed at 6’4” and 209 pounds, Blake already has the size to be an NHL defenseman. Still only 17 years old, though, Fiddler has had experience with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL and the United States National U18 team. Additionally, he captained the U18 Team USA squad for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
In his WHL career, Fiddler saw steady increases in production from his age-16 to age-17 seasons, and his on-ice results took a massive step forward in the 2024-25 season. On Byron Bader’s Hockey Prospecting, Fiddler has an interesting list of comparisons because of this rise in production. With a 51% NHLer probability and 15% star probability, Fiddler’s top draft comparisons (in terms of pure point production) include Miro Heiskanen, Derek Morris (his father’s former Phoenix Coyotes teammate), and Haydn Fleury. In any case, Fiddler’s draft-year comparisons are all current or former NHLers, even if the range of their abilities is pretty wide.
Where is Fiddler Ranked?
According to Elite Prospects, Fiddler is ranked as follows:
- 26th by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
- 21st by Recruit Scouting
- 21st by Bob McKenzie, TSN
- 23rd by Elite Prospects
- 24th by Dobber Prospects
- 24th by Smaht Scouting
- 27th by Sportsnet
- 32nd by FCHockey
- 39th by Craig Button, TSN
Fiddler is solidly a late-first or early-second prospect by rankings, but things get tend to get pretty murky after the first 10-15 selections. While I would be surprised to see him fall to the Devils’ selection, it is certainly not impossible.
What Others Say About Fiddler
For The Hockey Writers, Jesse Courville-Lynch profiled Fiddler. Courville-Lynch was not a huge fan of Fiddler’s consistency, noting that his potential lies in two-way play rather than offensive explosiveness. Still, they argue that Fiddler should not drop far down into the second round if it comes to that, writing that he could be one of the “steals of the draft.”
The Neutral Zone’s report on Fiddler compared him to Brandon Carlo, projecting him to be more of a shutdown player in the NHL with some offensive upside, praising his gap control, reach, and netfront physicality. Most importantly, in my opinion, they write that “his first-step quickness and top-end speed are still developing to handle NHL-caliber forwards effectively.” While I agree that his first steps can be a bit awkward, I think he moves really well while skating backwards, and is very agile once he gets in motion. I am not as concerned about his top-end speed.
Luke Sweeney of Dobber Prospects was a bit more negative on Fiddler. Saying that Fiddler’s early reputation may still carry him into the first round, Sweeney says Fiddler’s WHL was inconsistent. Sweeney writes, “He uses his reach and skating to close gaps on the rush and demonstrate some physicality, though it is his play with the puck that is less assuring. Fiddler makes some questionable decisions offensively and causes some frustrating turnovers through poor handling.” In the game of Fiddler’s that I watched further down the article, I was not extremely concerned about his turnovers.
A Little Video (Or a Lot, He Plays Almost 30 Minutes Here)
Right off the bat, I love the way he positions himself in the neutral zone, looking to cut off passing lanes rather than cede center ice. For a big, young defenseman, Fiddler also moves around very well, and he shows a lot of awareness retrieving the puck in the defensive zone. When Edmonton is on the power play a couple minutes into the video, Fiddler delivers a nice, low shot through traffic early, almost making for a netfront goal, but the Swift Current goaltender kept it out.
Fiddler gets a test of speed later on that power play, as he gets a pass blocked at the blueline. Sawyer Dingman could have had a breakaway, but Fiddler closes the gap quickly and expertly wraps a poke check around Dingman before blocking a second attempt. That said, Dingman is a big grinder himself, so it wasn’t like he chased down a speedy goal scorer.
Fiddler is on the ice for a goal against — a fluttering point shot — at around 5:50. In the play leading up to the goal, my only criticism is that he should have played the puck carrier a big more aggressively on the zone entry at 5:49. At 6’4”, Fiddler has plenty of reach to make a play there, but goes to defend the netfront as the entry is completed. Fiddler did not screen the goalie, and his man did not tip the shot, so it wasn’t a terrible shift. I do think he could have been a bit more engaged to clear up space, though. He is a lot more engaged around the seven-minute mark of the video, so I do think he took something from that shift.
While Fiddler was on the second power play in most cases, he was one of the defenseman first out for the penalty kill that begins at 8:58 in the video. I like what Fiddler does to steer forwards away from the front of the net, and he effectively utilizes his size there. I am not sure he is as certain about where to be in the passing lanes on the penalty kill, though. With his reach, he needs to be taking up as much space as possible when he is not engaged at the front of the net.
Finally getting on the board himself in a third period power play, Fiddler receives the puck at the blueline by the boards and skates it to the middle. Shooting low through sticks and legs, the initial shot hits the goaltenders arm and rebounds to Kayden Stroeder, a then-15-year old who had five goals, eight points, and a +5 rating in 16 games this year (mark that name down for 2027). I like Fiddler’s instincts on the power play, though I am not entirely sure what his ceiling is there. To his credit, he tries to get rid of the puck quickly when forwards pressure him, and his passes are largely right on the money. His low shots from the point could also make him a viable PP2 option when he does make the NHL.
Getting some penalty killing shifts late in the game, Fiddler continued to show his ability around the net, picking his moments well to take forwards entirely out of the goalie’s sightlines. Then, in an extended five-on-three situation, Fiddler looks like he continues to be a difficult presence for his opponents, helping to prevent screened shots from being executed. He also got a chance on the first power play at the end of the game, but Edmonton could not convert, and the game ended in a shootout. Fiddler played a lot of penalty killing minutes and created a rebound goal to help send them there, so that was a pretty good game from him.
My Thoughts on Fiddler
By virtue of when the Devils are selecting this year, it is not super likely that the Devils have the opportunity to select Blake Fiddler. I think he is a very interesting prospect, and I think he can actually look to a current Devil in what kind of player he may be in the NHL in Brett Pesce. He is huge, he has reach, he is physical around the net when he needs to be, and he excels at facilitating puck movement with accurate passes. From what I see, I do not think he will ever turn into some kind of slap shot-bombing, heavy-checking big defenseman, but he has a lot of strengths in his mobility and all-around ability. I wish I got to see more of him defending on the rush, as he did not really get tested much while skating backwards in the game I saw.
You also never know what kind of deals the team will make before or during the NHL Draft. For all we know, current Devils may be moved away, or the team may swap or trade draft picks. That might mean losing picks or gaining picks, or moving up or down but don’t be surprised if the Devils make their first selection somewhere other than 50th overall. Knowing some of the more attainable late-first or early-second round prospects could help determine whether the Devils would benefit from making such trades. Last season, when they traded John Marino, they received the second round selection used to take Mikhail Yegorov, who now projects to be one of the most important Devils of the future.
For Fiddler’s future, I also think he may benefit from departing Canadian junior hockey after his age-18 season. He is on the younger side, so the 2025-26 season would be the first year of NCAA eligibility for him, but he already almost looks too big for his WHL competition. For preparing for some of those more intense players around the net he will have to deal with in the NHL, I think a move to an American college would be good for him. It is a shorter schedule, which I don’t love, but a big defenseman like him needs to face physically mature opponents, and not younger teenagers. I am sure his father, who was a very responsible player in the NHL (as well as a guy who took on some of the toughest assignments in the bottom six), will steer him right.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Fiddler as a prospect? If he somehow fell to the New Jersey Devils, would you consider him? How do you think he projects as a future NHL player? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.