EDMONTON — Beau Akey is healthy and anxious to get back on the ice after the Edmonton Oilers defenseman prospect had last season derailed by a shoulder injury.
The 19-year-old, selected by the Oilers in the second round (No. 56) of the 2023 NHL Draft, was injured 14 games into last season while playing for Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League, where he was sent following a strong training camp with Edmonton.
“I was going into the season on a high coming back from camp and I was feeling great,” Akey said at development camp last month. “Early on, I felt I was playing great and unfortunately, I got injured. I had been battling injuries with that same shoulder for a while, and it was actually kind of nice to have the surgery and be able to recover fully from that injury.”
Akey had nine points (four goals, five assists) in those 14 games for Barrie prior to the injury. He was forced to watch the rest of the season after having surgery but tried to make the best of the situation.
“Seeing the game from up in the stands, it’s a lot different than being on the ice,” he said. “It allows you to get that coach’s perspective, like getting your head up a lot more, and you can visualize those plays coaches are talking about when you’re sitting up there in the stands.”
Akey said he hopes to utilize what he learned during his time out of the lineup entering his fourth season with Barrie. The smooth skating right-shot was drafted following a strong 2022-23 season, when he had 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists) in 66 regular-season games and five points (two goals, three assists) in 13 playoff games.
“I’m just looking at getting back to being myself,” he said. “Last season was a rough season, but my head (mentally) is good and I’m really looking forward to getting back to hockey.”
The abbreviated season was a setback, but the Oilers are willing to be patient with Akey with the hopes he’ll evolve into a top-four defenseman.
“Beau missed a significant amount of time with his shoulder, so the big thing with him is getting him playing,” Edmonton director of amateur scouting Rick Pracey said. “He’s an excellent skater, so we think it’s just going to be a matter of time before he gets back up to speed within his environment and pushing along.”
Edmonton’s hope in the meantime is Akey can stay healthy and have a strong season with Barrie, where he is expected to play on the top pair.
“His skating is a difference-maker,” Pracey said, “when you combine that with his hockey sense and ability to move the puck, [zone] exits and entries and a two-way style game that’s transitional to the NHL level.
“We’ll see where his offensive game goes. We think there is offensive potential and offensive upside even at the highest level.”
