2023 NHL Draft: Getting to know David Klee

When you reach the final rounds of the NHL draft, most specifically round seven, you’re taking a gamble. The best bets are already off the table, drafted in the higher rounds. Now, you’re looking at the kids who might have the right combination of skills, character and grit to make themselves invaluable to a team down the road.

The seventh round is not devoid of potential NHL players. Sharks fans know all too well about Joe Pavelski. It is Sharks legend. But did you know that both Pavelski and Klee played for the Waterloo Black Hawks?

This isn’t to say that Klee will become Pavelski, but there’s always hope. And Pavelski isn’t the only one that’s made the NHL after being drafted in the seventh-round. Other seventh-round picks that turned into long-time NHL players include Ondrej Palat, Frederik Andersen and Patric Hornqvist.

So, can David Klee, the 196th overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft, beat the odds and make the NHL?

Position: Forward
Age: 18
Date of Birth: May 10, 2005
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 187 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2022-23 Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL): 57 games, 13 points (3 G, 10 A)
2022-23 Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) Playoffs: 3 games, 0 points

What do scouts say about Klee’s game?

The best thing about Klee’s game is his hands. Which is what scouts have focused on.

“Look no further than Klee’s hands. He doesn’t just have the toe-drag down; he reads the opponents’ feet and goes in the opposite direction, and then skates back into their space to prevent the reach-around. In spurts, he creates chances by feathering a backhand pass through an opponent or slipping it around,” wrote Elite Prospects on Klee.

Corey Pronman of The Athletic also talked about the center’s hands.

“Klee is a big center with good hands. His skating is just OK. I’ve seen worse feet on a guy with his size, but he’s certainly not a quick player,” said Pronman. “The offense in his game is inconsistent. You’re banking on him being buried down a deep USHL lineup and him scoring a lot next season.”

There’s not much video on Klee, but we did find this one from a Waterloo Black Hawks practice where he was mic’d up. You can see the use of his hands a little later in the video.

Klee’s a second-generation draftee

Whether Klee makes the NHL is yet to be seen, but if he does he’ll have someone to talk to about the experience. His father, Ken Klee played 934 games in the NHL as a defenseman. Drafted 177th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Ken Klee played nine seasons with the Caps. He also played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers, Anaheim Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes. The elder Klee is a good Puckdoku answer for anyone that plays.

Ken Klee is an assistant coach of the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL. It’s the minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

What’s next for Klee?

Klee is expected to play for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL this season. He’s committed to playing for the University of North Dakota in the 2024-25 season.

Klee’s numbers were okay last season. He will be a little older, a little more mature and a little more prepared for this season in the USHL. He has the size; now, he just needs to learn how to use it. As Sharks fans, we can hope that Klee follows a similar path as fellow Sharks draftee Eric Pohlcamp, who used his second year in the USHL to elevate his game.

Klee will take some time to develop, but he may yet be a great late-round pick for the Sharks.