Whitelaw transferred from Wisconsin to Michigan for his sophomore season, appearing in 35 games during the 2024-25 campaign, recording 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points. Over two NCAA seasons, he has totalled 21 goals and 14 assists in 72 games. His sophomore production aligns with expectations rather than surpassing them, which is a reasonable trajectory for a third-round pick. Projected as a middle-six winger at his ceiling, his path to the NHL will depend on continued offensive growth and refining his two-way game. Whitelaw once again transferred in the NCAA and will play for Western Michigan University during the 2025-26 season.

Whitelaw was selected 66th overall by the Blue Jackets.

Will Whitelaw is a shooter. He gained lots of traction after his breakout performance at the U18s and has been very good in his first full year with Youngstown. However, while there’s a ton to like about Whitelaw’s offensive game, he leaves a lot to be desired when looking at his overall game. He’s undersized, lacks impact in his own end, tries too much at times and has lots of bad giveaways. However, his best moments are incredible and his offensive ceiling ranks among the top in the draft. He’s quick, shifty, and has a ridiculous release and scoring ability. He’s a shot creator and will develop the discipline to take better shots as time goes on. The holes in his game could be exposed at the college level, but good coaching and development will be key.

William Whitelaw has a top 10 toolkit in the entire 2023 draft class, his skating, creativity, pace, and shooting are all high-end, and his playmaking isn’t far behind. His tools are far better than his point production would indicate. However, he is among the most inconsistent players in the class as well. He can quite easily be pushed to the perimeter and regularly shoots from low percentage positions when a pass would have been a far better play. His individualism has declined since the start of the season but it still has some way to go. His defensive game is also lacklustre, which is one of the many reasons he projects as a winger at the pro level, despite playing at center with Youngstown. Despite these issues, his ceiling is extremely high (though his floor is equally low) which makes him one of the most interesting case studies in this draft class. He represents a potential homerun swing in the second round, and a team with a development staff focused on instilling consistent pro habits into his game and building up his lower body strength to better withstand pressure could turn him into one of the most dynamic and skilled players to come out of the entire class.