Our prospect expert looks at the best blueliners available this summer Sam Dickinson [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA2MzM2NjYwMzQ0OTQwMjM4/dickinson_ns_5417.jpg] Sam Dickinson With the NHL draft lottery in the books, we now know that the San Jose Sharks hold the No. 1 pick in 2024 and the right to select Macklin Celebrini. There will be no drama with this choice; Celebrini is the top consensus prospect and a perfect fit for the franchise. But what about No. 2? I did a mock draft earlier this week and had Chicago taking Russian winger Ivan Demidov with the second spot. I heard from a lot of Hawks fans online however, that they'd prefer a defenseman. Now, this is a great year for blueline prospects and an interesting one because you've got a slew of different archetypes to choose from. Who is the 'best' defenseman in the draft? I don't know if it's an appropriate question because their styles are so different. Do you want a Victor Hedman or a Quinn Hughes or a Noah Dobson? Lofty comparisons, I know - but when you're projecting ceilings, you might as well shoot for the top. Here's what scouts told me about some of the prime candidates: Artyom Levshunov, Michigan State (NCAA): "He's pretty impressive," said one scout. "Obviously a big, right-shot 'D' and offensively it's impressive what he did on a strong, competitive team. And he has shown he can do it defensively as one of the younger guys in college hockey." Anton Silayev, Torpedo (KHL): "Usually at that age if you're 6-foot-7 you're clunky and clumsy but there's none of that with him," said one scout. "He's a fluid skater. He's getting reps in a league on par with the AHL at 17. There's not a ton of projection in terms of 'will he play?', it's really about how good can he be? He's not as offensively inclined as Victor Hedman at the same age, but he does some other things better." Zeev Buium, Denver (NCAA): "He gives you a little of everything," said a scout. "He's got skill, defensively he's solid and his hockey IQ is really good. He joins the offense at the right times, he creates offense from the back end and at a young age he's one of their leaders. He takes games over." Sam Dickinson, London (OHL): "For a big guy that doesn't take a lot of penalties, he's a force along the walls and in the corners," said a scout. "He seals off the boards and vacuums up pucks to maintain possession. it's a knack he has - he anticipates and closes them off. He's doing the little things very well. Throw in that physical build and the skating and at times you think you're watching a 25-year-old defenseman." Zayne Parekh, Saginaw (OHL): "Elite-level skill set and the offensive dimension is significant," said one scout. "Projects as a power-play guy at the next level. Creates off the rush, distributes on the power play and gets pucks on net. Great hands and the offensive instincts are highly developed. The defense is concerning for some, but if you're drafting Zayne Parekh, you know what he brings to the table." DRAKKAR NOIR One of the most vexing players in the 2024 draft for me is Baie-Comeau right winger Justin Poirier, who currently leads the QMJHL in playoff scoring with 17 goals and 25 points in 13 games for the Drakkar. Poirier was measured by NHL Central Scouting at a shade over 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds. He had a ripping regular season for Baie-Comeau too, but what is the pro projection? "When there's a loose puck, he's quick to get on it," said one scout. "He's a perimeter guy who hovers in areas then jumps on pucks. He's quick, but is he outright fast like Cole Caufield or some of the other smaller guys? Poirier is probably quicker than Jordan Dumais, but Dumais is extremely competitive so I don't see the comparison." For what it's worth, Columbus took Dumais 96th overall in 2022. I think Poirier goes outside the top 100, but not by much. AHL DEEP DISH I'm a little late on this, but I'm happy the AHL's Chicago Wolves have reunited with Carolina as the Hurricanes' top affiliate. Going independent this season was clearly a disaster for the Wolves, who were one of the worst teams in the AHL - the irony being that they broke off their relationship with Carolina because the Wolves want to win as well as develop talent. Of course, that's hard to do when you can't count on Carolina's deep prospect pool, as the Wolves immediately found out. With the Hurricanes making a raft of signings recently - Jackson Blake, Scott Morrow, Charles-Alexis Legault, Joel Nystrom, Gleb Trikozov and Ruslan Khazheyev - the Wolves should be very entertaining next season.
