Part 3/3 of my draft target series is here, with today’s focus being on five defensemen who the Senators could draft at 19th overall. As per usual, I had to leave out a few prospects such as Victor Soderstrom (who is probably ranked too high for Ottawa), Matthew Robertson, and Alex Vlasic, so there are quite a few players in this range who Ottawa might actually take. But let’s take a look at these five players who should be taken in the range where the Senators are picking:
Cam York
Getting York at 19th might be a bit of a stretch, but he has been ranked in the teens so I wanted to include him anyway because every year there are players who fall a few spots. Like four of the players listed here, he is a left-handed defenseman, which is less than ideal given Ottawa’s need on the right side. However, the Senators should clearly still be taking the best player available in the draft. York has put up great offensive numbers in the USHL with 33 points in 28 games and 65 points in 63 games for the US National U18 team. For comparison, Seth Jones had 12 points in 20 USHL games and 31 points in 52 games for the U18 team.
York is not a huge defenseman at just 5’11…, 176 lbs, but he is highly rated for a reason. Corey Pronman is a big believer in his hockey sense:
“York’s hockey sense is what makes him so valuable. His poise with the puck is fantastic. He’s never pressured into bad decisions and exhibits great vision. His teammates constantly praise what a calming influence he is when he has the puck. York has a high skill level but often does not lean on his stick handling, preferring to make a play to his forwards. York skates well…
Pronman also says that he is not a top-tier defender though, as his offensive ability is what is more exciting about him. I would be fine with that, although I don’t know if Ottawa will be wanting another defenseman of that ilk, even if he might be the best player available. York could easily be taken in the first half of the first round, so the Senators might not even get the decision to take him or not. Still though, he is a dynamic weapon from the backend who could make the Senators left-side defense incredible.
Harley took a massive step forward this season by putting up 58 points in 68 games after having just 15 in 62 games in his rookie season. He is an interesting prospect as someone who could continue to improve his stock even after he gets drafted, and Sam Cosentino even compared him to Thomas Chabot.. If that is a comparison, I’d imagine that the Senators have their eyes on him. Cam Robinson of Dobber Prospects’ analysis of Harley has me excited about him:
“An efficient and play-driving defender with good size and speed. Harley has not only accepted a larger role with Mississauga this year, but he’s also thrived. Improved lateral quickness and overall speed from last season make him more of a threat off the rush. This is a player with a ton of upside…
He is already quite tall at 6’3… and 187 lbs, and to have good overall speed for that size is very impressive. To me, that seems like a player who is just coming into his own by realizing that he has more speed than he did in the past, which means he can do so much more all over the ice. There are some questions about his defensive positioning, but that is possible to fix. It’s a lot harder to coach speed and skill, which is what Harley has.
Seider is the lone right-handed defenseman on this list, with Victor Soderstrom being another righty, although he is unlikely to fall to the Senators. Seider spent the entire season in the top German hockey league DEL with Adler Mannheim, scoring 6 points in 29 games. That might not seem like much, but it looks more impressive when you consider that he had the most points by any player in the DEL who is under the age of 20---and he counted as a 17-year-old. The DEL isn’t as competitive at Sweden’s top league, the SHL, but it is still a great accomplishment to be playing against men at his age.
He is quite big at 6’4…, 198 lbs and his physical game is definitely part of what he brings to the table. His career could go so many different ways, but the fact that he has decent speed, is physical, and can contribute offensively makes him a very intriguing project. Seider has drawn criticism that he isn’t fantastic with the puck on his stick, and he might be more effective in a shutdown role in the NHL. This quote from his German U20 coach concerns me a tad and I’ll explain why:
…The most impressive thing about Moritz is that he competes every shift – when he steps on the ice he wants to win. He sees the game very well and that makes him special. He’s also a very good skater…
I’m glad that he grades well as a skater, but usually when a coach wants to praise a player but doesn’t have anything concrete to talk about, he will mention something about working hard or competing, as if 95% of NHL players aren’t exactly the same in that regard. If anybody should be talking up Seider’s offensive or defensive abilities, it should be one of his coaches, but his answer was quite vague. That is just one quote from one person, but it made me raise an eyebrow. Who knows if Ottawa even went to scout the DEL, but if they do take Seider, he will be quite the case to follow.
Heinola is another top prospect who played in the top professional league in his home country (Finland). He put up 14 points in 34 games for Lukko in Liiga, which means he was not just a bystander on his team---he was a solid contributor. He is a good puck-mover who has good vision, but there are some areas for concern as he gets older. Pronman has this to say about his worries:
“He’s fine defensively due to his positional play, despite not being the biggest defender. However, he has limitations that may hinder him as he progresses. His size is obvious but his skating is also a minor concern. His stride breaks down when he gets going in a straight line, which is worrisome in a 5-foot-11 defender.…
Heinola has at least played against men this past season, so it’s not as if he is incapable of defending against them. However, the NHL will be a different story. Plenty of defensemen have overcome these fears of defending against stronger players, but not having the greatest skating ability might be something to worry about, especially as players seemingly get faster as the years go by. He does seem to be a smart defenseman overall though, and he would certainly have upside that the Senators would love.
Broberg is another player worth drafting simply because of his name. He has quite the wide range in terms of where scouts think he will be drafted, as I have seen him as high as 8th and as low as 33rd. He spent this past season with AIK in the Allsvenskan, which is one tier below the SHL. As with Heinola and Seider, he was still playing against men. He does not possess a clear offensive upside like some other defensemen might, although Pronman had a glowing review of him due to his size and speed:
“He’s a 6-foot-3 defenseman who is an elite skater. That combination alone is scary. There are some rushes he’s made this season where the opposition didn’t even have a chance to get a stick on the puck because he needs a few steps and he’s blazing by guys. However, I found in league games he was hesitant to push the pace versus men like he did versus his peers. He has that ability and it may be a maturation thing.…
One would think that those two things would make him an offensive threat, but apparently not. He projects as a fantastic two-way defenseman who can essentially do everything, but he is not expected to be a huge point producer. At the same time, it’s possible that his offensive game will grow as he gets older because if you have elite speed as a defenseman, it’s easy to see how that will be useful in the offensive zone. Broberg definitely has a very high ceiling, but he doesn’t necessarily have a correspondingly low floor, either.