2021 NWHL Draft Prospect Profile: Taylor Wente

F Taylor Wente, Minnesota (WCHA)

Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota

Taylor Wente got off to a solid start with the Gophers during her freshman and sophomore seasons, posting upwards of 20 points during both campaigns. While her offensive production dropped off as an upperclassman, it’s worth recognizing the kind of talent she’s competing with for a spot in the Gophers’ middle six — players like Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, and Amy and Sarah Potomak. Nevertheless, on any other roster in the WCHA, Wente would undoubtedly shine as a player in the top six and have more opportunities to flourish, which would translate directly to her success in a league like the NWHL. She’s made two consecutive U18 Women’s World Championship appearances with Team USA prior to the start of her collegiate career, earning two gold medals and “most assists” at the 2016 tournament.

I have my concerns about her ability to be a relied-upon play driver at the next level, but Wente is one of the most skilled players who should be available in the draft, and I fully expect the Whitecaps to be sniffing around for Wente early.

–Anne Tokarski contributed to this report