Jaxon Cover is perhaps the most interesting prospect in this year’s NHL Entry Draft — maybe even in the history of the event. His background is in roller hockey, and he only began his first season on ice five years ago. As a result, some may see him as a project player, but one without the negative connotation that label traditionally brings. While he’s still learning the ‘bigger rink’ game, his raw talent, creativity, and soft hands have propelled him into the list of top 50 players being tracked by many scouts.
Jaxon Cover
Vitals
Date of Birth: February 13, 2008
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing
2025-26 Season
Cover spent this past season with the OHL’s London Knights, posting 52 points (20 G, 32 A) in the regular season; ranking third on the team in goals, assists, and points. He also led all Knights forwards with 160 shots, good for second overall to Henry Brzustewicz’s whopping 231.
Cool Runnings
Sometimes the greatest stories come from the most improbable of places. Cover is one of those tales. Born in Florida but raised in the Cayman Islands, there wasn’t a single sheet of ice where he grew up. There was, however, a roller rink — and he quickly transformed into a bit of a phenom while traveling to tournaments throughout the United States. When he eventually transitioned to playing on ice, Cover had no concept of offsides or icing, as they simply don’t exist in roller. Thus, the learning curve was steep, but so was his ascent.
A Knights’ Tale
London selected him 64th overall in the 2024 OHL Draft, immediately bringing Cover into one of junior hockey’s finest programs, run by Dale Hunter — the same organization as recent Kings prospects Henry Brzustewicz and Jared Woolley. Going even further back, Hunter has coached such stars as Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Corey Perry, and Mitch Marner. It’s widely considered the perfect training ground for raw talent: a winning, demanding environment where a player learns the pro details by osmosis, if nothing else.
Cover has since committed to Penn State for next year, where he should continue to grow his game via the same program where potential No. 1 selection Gavin McKenna honed his skills this past season.
Rankings by Independent Scouting Services
No. 45 by Ryan Ma: “Jaxon Cover is a high-upside, rapidly developing forward whose offensive game is driven by strong net-front instincts, creative puck distribution in tight areas, and a dangerous catch-and-release shot when operating in rhythm around the offensive zone. While his skating mechanics, off-puck structure, and consistency in forechecking and transition engagement remain raw and inconsistent, his rapid development curve, intelligence in scoring areas, and flashes of high-end offensive creativity means there’s a ton of upside to unlock if his toolset continues to mature.”
No. 51 by Smaht Scouting: “He makes strong reads and has the ability to act as a connector in all three zones. He has the touch and precision of a quality passer, which shows on the power play where he can be effective in any spot and make sound decisions. His transition game will need to improve — he has some traits of a good puck carrier but isn’t relied upon as a consistent option. He has shown flashes of creating off the rush, however.”
See For Yourself
Final Comments
Many draft evaluations are about projecting what a finished version of said player may become a few years down the road. Cover’s is different. With him, the question isn’t where the line is, it’s how high he has risen and whether the trend line will continue.
The raw talent is about as obvious as it gets. He’s a natural finisher with a quick, accurate release, and the bumper man on London’s power play (who turned that role into five power-play goals). He goes to the dirty areas, battles on the boards, and reads the defensive side of the puck well enough to where he isn’t a liability. The honest flaw is decision-making — he’ll occasionally force a play or skate past the better option in favor of a lower-percentage shot — but that’s a skill that typically grows with practice, coaching, and structure. Quite frankly, reps are the one thing Cover hasn’t had as much of as his 2026 peer group.
That’s the whole debate in a sentence: How much do you dock a player for the years he didn’t play, and how much do you bet on his ability to continue growing with more practice? From LA’s perspective, this may be seen as a swing for the fences — and there truly is no telling just how big of a home-run pick he could be.
To see more player profiles from this year’s Draft Preview series, be sure the check out the links down below.
Lead photo via Gameday London
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