2021 NHL Draft: Top 5 Puck-Moving Defensemen

3 years ago  /  The Hockey Writers  /  Read Time: 6 minutes 6 seconds

• The Stampede’s program is currently being overshadowed by the amount of draft-eligible talent playing for the Chicago Steel and the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), but Johnson’s play so far warrants an appearance on this lineup.
• He has accumulated 32 points in 47 United States Hockey League (USHL) games so far, resulting from his great skating and offensive abilities.
• His swiftness on turns and his ability to get rid of forecheckers with ease when carrying the puck allow him to play positive hockey, constantly looking to play the puck into dangerous ice.
• His vision and puck distribution make him a threat on breakouts and entries, and he has the mind to find pockets of space as a trailing defenseman off the rush.
• If Edvinsson can work on staying calm on the puck and making sound decisions, which are currently very valid concerns with his game, he could hope to become as dominant and complete a defenseman as Hedman is.
• However, when he carries the puck up the ice, dangles through defenders with ease, and slings tape-to-tape passes for clean zone entries, and when he produces as he does currently, you can see the outline of a top-pairing, powerplay quarterback in Morrow.
• Clarke’s 2021 season is yet another story of COVID-related relocation, as the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) shut its doors for the entire season2
• His ability to beat attackers when closing down on the slot from the blue line is fun to watch, as he disposes of sticks and bodies with little effort while carrying the puck.
• His skating is elite, his passing is above-average, and he has shown the ability to solve problems in the offensive zone like few in this draft class can.
• He will either continue growing his game in Slovakia next year, or return to the OHL when they reopen the league.
• He is a product of the USNTDP, for which he leads his defensemen in USHL points per game, with 15 in 18 starts for the Program.
• His edgework plays a massive part in his ability to score points, as he regularly dictates play himself by carrying the puck into dangerous areas and evades pressure by walking the blue line effortlessly.
• Three of the top-10 players on Zator’s top 100 currently play on that program and likely will next year as well; good company for a defenseman looking to work with skilled teammates and show what he has to offer.

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