There wasn’t much about Beau Akey’s first season of professional hockey that went according to plan.

Before the campaign even started, the Edmonton Oilers’ 2023 second-round pick sustained an injury that sidelined him for a month. After a brief conditioning stint in the ECHL, he finally made his AHL debut with the Bakersfield Condors in November.

That early-season injury may seem like a minor roadblock, but it’s part of a concerning trend for Akey, who has had issues staying healthy in the past. Back in November 2023, he suffered a major shoulder injury while playing for the OHL’s Barrie Colts, which required season-ending surgery to repair.

Despite multiple injury setbacks in his young career, Condors head coach Colin Chaulk believes the right-shot defenceman showed promise in his first year with the club.

“…Something along the lines of 35 or 36 of his first 42 games, he was either plus or even,” Chaulk told Bob Stauffer in a recent interview on Oilers Now. “When you talk about a team that was at one point in the bottom third of the league defensively, because of how attacking and how offensive we were, for a young first-year D-man to do that is really something to be proud of.”

With just 10 points in 42 games, Akey didn’t have the flashiest boxcar numbers. But his defensive prowess helped him achieve a 57 per cent goal share, suggesting he was one of the team’s most effective players at five-on-five. Chaulk was right. When healthy, Akey put together a solid rookie season.

Unfortunately, the injury that delayed Akey’s AHL debut wasn’t the only one he suffered in 2025-26. During a game in late January, an errant puck sailed into the Condors’ bench, striking him in the face. Akey only missed a short time, but according to Chaulk, he struggled to regain his previous form when he returned.

“Beau got a puck in the face in San Jose. I believe it was seven teeth that he lost. He was not the same after that. He lost some weight, played with a full bubble, so he just couldn’t really find his groove after that,” he said.

A puck to the face is a freak occurrence, but injuries have started to pile up for Akey. Staying healthy moving forward will be priority No. 1 to allow him to gain experience and take another step forward. Chaulk believes that work starts in the gym.

“He’s lost a few summers with those shoulder surgeries, so that has been something that he’s had to have some challenges with,” he said. “As far as on ice, [he’s] smooth, poised, right shot, smart, needs to get stronger. Not, not thicker and bulky and slower. He just needs to get stronger.”

Given the Oilers’ shallow prospect pool, the team would benefit tremendously if Akey could develop into an NHL player. As a mobile, smooth-skating defenceman who can defend and move the puck, he certainly has enough tools to succeed as a professional. With that said, what can we reasonably expect from Akey in the future?

Oilersnation prospect analyst Spencer Pomoty thinks Akey will lean on his defensive game first and foremost.

“I don’t personally believe Akey will ever be a player that puts up points at the next level, he has shown flashes of some offence, however, it’s mostly just him moving the puck in transition efficiently,” wrote Pomoty back in April. “Due to Akey projecting as much more of a defence-first player, I’m not too worried about not showing off the flashy offence like a Leppänen.”

Availability is a legitimate concern for Akey. If he takes Chaulk’s advice, however, and gets strong enough to make it through the rigours of an AHL season, there could be a case for him becoming an NHL player. He has a lot of the right skills, and he’s determined to keep rounding out the rest of his game.

“You see these pro-style defencemen, the guys in the NHL, they have all the abilities,” said Akey at Oilers Development Camp. “They’re so well-rounded. So, I’ll definitely be sharpening every tool in the toolbox and then going to try and take a big step in possessing the puck and when you have the puck on your stick, making a really solid play.”

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