This year’s prospect class is shaping up to be a boon for teams looking for blueline help, with defencemen holding down the top four spots on the latest edition of TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s rankings ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft, scheduled for July 23.

Owen Power, the towering 6-foot-5-1/2, 213-pound Michigan Wolverines defenceman, is Button’s top prospect available after scoring three goals and 16 points in 26 games at the NCAA level. And his talents will be showcased again later this month as he'll play for Team Canada at the IIHF Men's World Hockey Championship in Latvia.

“Power’s combination of skills is unique,” Button said of the left-shot defenceman. “He’s got superb hockey sense, very good skill and superior size.”

Barrie Colts defenceman Brandt Clarke, who spent this season with HC Nove Zamky in the top Slovakian professional league while the Ontario Hockey League was on pause during the pandemic, comes in second in Button’s rankings.

Clarke, a right-shot defenceman who is 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, helped Canada win gold at the under-18 men's hockey championship in Frisco, Texas with two goals and seven points in seven games.

“Clarke brings a skill set that includes creativity, boldness and confidence,” Button said. “His game combines elements of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns.”

Swede Simon Edvinsson (No. 3) and American Luke Hughes (No. 4) round out the run on defencemen atop Button’s rankings.

Defencemen have never been selected No. 1 through 4 in the draft. The closest to that was in 1995 when Bryan Berard, Wade Redden and Aki Berg went No. 1-2-3. In 2008, centre Steven Stamkos went first overall, followed by blueliners Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian and Alex Pietrangelo.

Edvinsson bounced between leagues in Sweden this season, playing 10 games for Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League, 14 games for Frolunda’s junior team and 14 games with Vasteras in the Allsvenskan.

“Edvinsson is an outstanding skater,” Button said. “He has the brains and competitive spirit necessary to be a top-pair, big-minutes defenceman at the pro level.”

Hughes, the younger brother of top-10 picks Quinn (seventh overall to the Vancouver Canucks in 2018) and Jack (first overall to the New Jersey Devils in 2019) had 34 points in 38 games for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team this season and has committed to Michigan for next year.

Hughes is expected to resume skating later this month after having surgery in March to repair a foot tendon lacerated by a skate cut.

“Luke Hughes is the all-around competitively solid defenceman who contributes in all areas,” Button said.

Filling out the top 10 are  Michigan centre Matthew Beniers (No. 5), Djurgarden centre William Eklund (No. 6), Edmonton Oil Kings right wing Dylan Guenther (No. 7), Halifax Mooseheads left wing Zachary L’Heureux (No. 8), Swedish goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (No. 9) and Russian centre Fedor Svechkov (No. 10).

Despite the numerous obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, Button said players and scouts found a way to make the best of a tough situation.

“It was a season that challenged players and NHL scouting staffs alike,” he said.  “It was a very different process for players to show their abilities and potential and for scouts to assess those skills and attributes. But players have taken advantage of their opportunities and scouts have been able to gain a very strong sense of confidence in what the players offer.”

 

The Top 32

 
RK Player Team POS HT WT GP G P
1 Owen Power Michigan (NCAA) D 6'5 ½ 213 26 3 16
2 Brandt Clarke Nove Zamky (SVK) D 6'2 185 26 5 15
3 Simon Edvinsson Frolunda (SHL) D 6'4 ¼ 198 10 0 1
4 Luke Hughes USA U18 (USHL) D 6'2 184 38 6 34
5 Matthew Beniers Michigan (NCAA) C 6'1 ½ 175 24 10 24
6 William Eklund Djurgardens (SHL) LW 5'9 ¾ 176 40 11 23
7 Dylan Guenther Edmonton (WHL) RW 6'1 ½ 175 12 12 24
8 Zachary L’Heureux Halifax (QMJHL) C 5'11 196 33 19 39
9 Jesper Wallstedt  Lulea (SHL) G 6'3 214 22 2.23 .908
10 Fedor Svechkov Togliatti (VHL) C 6'0 187 38 5 15
11 Matthew Coronato Chicago (USHL) LW 5'10 ¼ 183 51 48 85
12 Carson Lambos JYP (SM Liiga Jr. ) D 6'1 197 13 2 11
13 Kent Johnson Michigan (NCAA) C 6'1 167 26 9 27
14 Mason McTavish Olten (SUI) C 6'1 207 13 9 11
15 Chaz Lucius USA U18 (USHL) C 6'1 185 12 13 18
16 Zachary Bolduc Rimouski (QMJHL) C 6'1 175 27 10 29
17 Cole Sillinger Sioux Falls (USHL) C 6'0 197 31 24 46
18 Brennan Othmann Olten (SUI) LW 6'0 175 34 7 16
19 Sebastian Cossa Edmonton (WHL) G 6'6 210 19 1.57 .941
20 Samu Tuomaala Karpat (SM Liiga Jr.)  RW 5'10 174 30 15 31
21 Daniil Chayka Moskva (KHL) D 6'2 ¾ 187 11 1 2
22 Corson Ceulemans Brooks (AJHL) D 6'2 198 8 4 11
23 Nikita Chibrikov St. Petersburg (KHL) RW 5'10 170 16 1 2
24 Isak Rosen Leksands (SHL) RW 5'11 156 22 0 1
25 Francesco Pinelli Jesenice (SLO) C 6'0 185 13 5 11
26 Zach Dean Gatineau (QMJHL) C 6'0 176 23 10 20
27 Fabian Lysell Lulea (SHL) RW 5'10 ½ 172 26 2 3
28 Xavier Bourgault Shawinigan (QMJHL) C 6'0 172 29 20 40
29 Aatu Raty Karpat (SM Liiga) C 6'2 185 35 3 6
30 Oskar Olausson HV71 (SWE J20) RW 6'1 ¼ 180 16 14 27
31 Benjamin Gaudreau Sarnia (OHL) G 6'2 175 - - -
32 Anton Olsson Malmo (SHL) D 6'0 198 39 0 4