Wings draft Owen Mehlenbacher with pick 201 in the 7th

[wyrrlen]

Poor kid, there's such a good chance he could pickup nicknames like Orville Mehlenbacher or Owen Melonballer from his teammates. Maybe I'm just channeling that. Don't let his nickname misfortune fool you, there's a lot to like here.

His elite prospects page is here.

In 2021-2022 he was nearly a 1ppg player in the USHL, plus kept that up with 8 points in 9 playoff games. FC Hockey has this note:

Mehlenbacher is a big-bodied, power forward who’s work ethic allows him to impact the game in multiple situations. His size and strength comes into play in so many different aspects of the game. He was really effective in the face-off circle, using his stick and his body to tie up the opposing center and win the puck back.

I think this matches what we heard on many of the other players drafted about using their bodies to shield and protect the puck to maintain possession.

If you find any gameplay clips or scoring videos, please post them here. Thanks!