Ben King is a big, power-forward type of center who was passed over in the last couple drafts but made notable progress this past season. He relied heavily on his advantageous size and awareness this season to put up some very good numbers for Red Deer. He’s able to create offense in several different ways. He’s got a nose for the net, and often finds himself within the inner slot getting quality scoring chances. He plays the cycle game very well. He’s strong enough to use his body to shield the puck. He also has great vision and a surprisingly soft set of hands that allow him to create and finish plays. He has the ability to beat goalies clean from distance with his shot, though he usually needs the help of his teammates to get those kinds of looks. He’s always possessed a nice release, however he’s really worked on his accuracy and his stats exploded in kind. The lingering issue in his game has always been his skating ability, and that still hasn’t changed. He seems to always be a step behind most players in terms of speed. His edgework clearly needs lots of work, and he doesn’t keep his feet moving as much as he needs to in order to compensate for his heavy boots. It would also be nice to see him use his size and strength to impose his will more often and inflict more punishment, too. While his offensive output this season can’t be fully ignored, teams do have to keep in mind the fact that he was one of the older and more experienced players in the WHL, and was therefore more physically and mentally mature than his opponents. He won’t be an elite producer at the NHL level, but he has some tools that may allow him to find himself in a bottom-six power-forward role.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide