Looking for some additional information on the Oilers’ latest second-round pick? Here we’ve put together a collection of scouting reports and highlights regarding newly drafted defenceman, Beau Akey. The Edmonton Oilers selected Akey with the 56th overall pick, their first pick at the NHL draft after sitting idle on night one.

Below you will find a collection of pre-draft scouting reports on Beau Akey from varying prospects writers around the league.

“While most eyes have been on Brandt Clarke in Barrie this year, it’s hard to ignore Akey jumping up 30 points this year. He does an excellent job of rushing the puck down the ice from his own zone and he panic-passes the puck far less these days. I’m excited to see how he plays without Clarke in the system next year.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“With his precise and powerful footwork, he can shadow attackers and push them to the outside, pinch on opponents in the offensive zone before they can break out the puck, and absorb and box out attackers rushing to the slot. Some of his best work came off his ability to anticipate players on the rush and use his stick to poke pucks away, as well as while chasing puck carriers in his own end. It’s not for nothing that Barrie Colts skating coach Paul Matheson uses Beau Akey to help demonstrate key mobility concepts on his Twitter page. The Colts blueliner has perfected his drills. He can pivot with a single step without losing speed, explode forward with short, explosive steps, and stack his full weight over one of his outside edges to abruptly change direction. His form isn’t textbook, but his power and agility received significantly above-average grades. As a scouting team, we place a significant amount of emphasis on skating when we’re evaluating defencemen. It’s why Akey is ranked much higher on our list than most of our industry peers. With his precise and powerful footwork, he can shadow attackers and push them to the outside, pinch on opponents in the offensive zone before they can break out the puck, and absorb and box out attackers rushing to the slot.” –Elite Prospects

“Some of his best work came off his ability to anticipate players on the rush and use his stick to poke pucks away, as well as while chasing puck carriers in his own end.” Lauren Kelly, OHL regional scout

“If Akey can unlock that untapped offensive potential in the form of a higher willingness to take risks, he could be really good. With his skating, offensive awareness, defensive responsibility and good puck-moving skill that hasn’t been utilized well just yet, he could be a really good top-four defender. He has the ability to quarterback a power play as well. If things don’t go as smoothly for his offensive development, he still has a solid base for his defensive game. That said, there’s a pro player within Akey. Whether he sticks or not will be determined with time. But he should at least be given a shot with his overall solid game that limits mistakes.” -Last Word on Sports