Hunter Gathers
The Crown
I never called him a future #1 defensemen, but a guy who can play on your top shutdown pairing, I just happen to like his size, positioning, and overall fundamentals over more 'toolsy' guys like say David Fischer who may have more upside but aren't as polished.
I could never, ever see Mitera as a top shutdown pairing defenseman, though. I just don't think he's good enough to shut down the elite players in the NHL. I mean, yeah he's improved a bit over last year but he still plays the same exact game. Not much difference to my eyes from year to year.
Fischer has some really great fundamentals, though. I know you're an Anaheim fan and you want Mitera to be great and all, but I think you're really discounting Fischer. The guy is "the goods". He's got great offensive potential, he's already a very solid defender in his own zone for the most part, and he just ahs much more room in his game to grow compared to a Mitera.