Making the list of top North American skaters for the NHL entry draft as released by Central Scouting doesn't guarantee a player will be drafted or even invited to a camp. It does, however, show a player is on the radar and an Estevan-born defenseman is certainly on the radar. 

Defenseman Max Wanner of the the Moose Jaw Warriors, who played much of his minor hockey in Estevan before moving to Moose Jaw to play for several higher level teams, has been ranked 223rd among North American Skaters. Wanner just finished his second abbreviated season with the Warriors. 

The 6-foot-3 181-pound defenseman played for both the Warriors and the AAA Warriors this year. He put up four goals and an assist in just five games for the AAA Warriors before the WHL season began. Then, in 17 games in the WHL hub city in Regina, he had four assists, 12 PIM, and finished plus-two. 

After finishing out his U15 AA career in Estevan, Wanner moved to the Moose Jaw-based Prairie Hockey Academy, where he played two seasons before joining the AAA Warriors in 2019-20. He was a standout in the AAA ranks with 22 points in 35 games in his first regular season, eight points in eight playoff games, and six points in four games at the prestigious Macs Tournament. 

That same season, he got his first taste of two levels of junior hockey, including a game with the Estevan Bruins. He also played five games with the WHL's Warriors that season, putting up an assist. 

Former Bruins draft pick Cole Sillinger is also ranked by Central Scouting. After spending this past season in the USHL with Sioux Falls, he was named the tenth ranked North American Skater,.

The NHL entry draft is scheduled for July 23 and 24 this year, with 32 teams making 224 picks, including the expansion Seattle Kraken.