Ripshot 43
Registered User
- Jul 21, 2010
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I've just dabbled with research for 2021 draft eligibles, but I can say that a great number of defensemen have seriously impressed me.
I would say LD Owen Power is the favorite right now to be drafted #1 overall. The kid is just a freak at 6'5-215, with very good skating ability. Defensively he's a beast, but offensively he's also flashed top pairing potential. His shot is ridiculous and he's a great passer.
The best pure offensive defenseman in the draft is likely RD Brandt Clarke, the brother of Devils prospect Graeme Clarke. This kid's skating is just ridiculous and he also boasts elite abilities in the stick handling and vision categories.
Right behind Clarke offensively is LD Luke Hughes, the third of the amazingly-talented Hughes brothers. Luke is bigger than Quinn and Jack but can also absolutely fly. He's not as polished offensively as Clarke but when he's focused and on his game, he can just dominate the pace. Luke also needs a ton of work on his defensive game, but his 60+ point offensive upside is why you're drafting him.
The best "hybrid" defenseman I would say is the Winnipeg Ice's LD Carson Lambos. This kid is just so good on either side of the puck, and he's probably ahead of the rest of the kids on this list in terms of decision-making and polish. He's the classic all-situations guy, he'll run your power play and be the guy you want out there protecting a one-goal lead late.
I expect Power to be the #1 overall pick and I'd say Clarke and Lambos are very likely top-5 selections. Hughes is a likely top-10 pick.
The best European defenseman comes down to three players, all of whom I could imagine also winding up as top 10 picks. Out of Sweden, LD Simon Edvinsson is also what you would call the classic hybrid D, and also combines great size (6'4-185) with very good skating abilities. Out of Russia, LD Daniil Chayka is another big kid (6'3-185) who skates well and is very advanced defensively, especially considering his age. He reminds me a bit of Jake Sanderson in that he is very careful with his offensive rushes and chances, but when he makes them he consistently impresses -- I think we're talking about a Ryan Suter-type shut-down guy who can also contribute 40+ points at the NHL level. I'd say the most underrated defenseman in the 2021 class right now is Czech LD Stanislav Svozil, a very advanced defender with a high hockey IQ and elite or near-elite playmaking abilities. Though not as big (6'1-180) or fast as the other D-men on this list, he's looked really good in the Czech elite league this year and the lack of attention Czech prospects have had of late make him a very intriguing kid to project.
Though the 2021 draft is very tough to predict at this point, one competition which is pretty much wrapped up already is "best-named defender", which goes hands-down to Halifax Mooseheads LD Cameron Whynot. Incidentally, he's also a 6'1-185 two-way stud who is likely to be picked in the latter half of the first round.
Just dabbled ?!? Just dabbled?
Get to work you bum, what do you think we pay you for?