Draft Type | Round | Pick | Team |
---|---|---|---|
Projection | 1 | 4 |
With a North American season under his belt last year with Green Bay, he put his great size to use and show offensive skills. He has now started his college career at Michigan State where he started the season at a point per game pace. He has enough positive attributes to put him firmly in the discussion as the best prospect at his position for the 2024 Draft, and the one closest to NHL ready. He projects as a top four defender with the upside to be more. He is the third youngest player in college hockey and as of February 2024 he was producing at a point per game pace. Despite competition against older players, he has been playing big minutes and done nothing to suggest he is out-matched. He has excellent four direction skating ability, but doesn't much stray from letting the game come to him, efficiently relaying pucks and closing on attackers without overplay. That doesn't mean he won't calculate when it is time to attack, and can surprise goalers close in, or thread passes laterally to an open teammate in on the look. He gets his shots through and is well versed with his transition passes. He is necessarily an attacking defenseman, as an opportunistic one, so it may be difficult to gauge this part of his game as a pro, especially early on. There are also indications he can improve his work defensively, and that might go a long way to cement himself as a true early section with two way prowess.
--Bill Płaczek--
Year | Rank |
---|---|
2024 | 3 |