Stacking the Back End.
Alec Avedissian ranks the top three defensemen taken in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
We are seeing the NHL continue to transition to a more skill based game, with defensemen being called upon more and more to be the ones to lead the charge. The 2017 NHL Draft has passed, and this year’s class of rookie back-enders are more than ready to take up the challenge.
These are the top three defensemen drafted in 2017.
3. Timothy Liljegren
Starting the year out as the number two ranked prospect, Liljegren eventually slid all the way to the 17th pick, where the Toronto Maple Leafs were thrilled to pick him up. He missed most of the last season in the Swedish Hockey League due to mononucleosis. He ended up with five points in 19 games, and was also loaned to Timra (a Division One team in Sweden) where he scored one point in five games. Liljegren admitted to having come back from mono too quickly and wasn’t ready to play the game at his own level. Timothy has fair size, fitting a stout 192 lbs to a 6’ frame, and he is oozing with offensive potential. He’s got a great shot that he can get through traffic. He is a great skater with good vision, has a lot of poise with the puck on his stick, and can beat opponents one on one.
His question marks are the same ones you find with most young offensive defensemen. He doesn’t play a physical game, he has occasional lapses in defensive coverage, and he has a tendency to be inconsistent in his production. He needs a lot of work away from the puck and in his own end before he can become the franchise defenseman the Maple Leaf faithful are ticketing him to be. He has all the offensive skills to become a potential superstar in the NHL one day, but he also has the most question marks as to if he will be able to reach his potential.
Liljegren seems committed to Rogle BK for at least next season where he can hopefully improve on his numbers and his defensive game. If Liljegren can pull all of his skills together and sure up defensively, there’s no reason why he can’t become an offensive star in the NHL.
2. Miro Heiskanen
Heiskanen made this list with a standout World Juniors performance this past year, putting up 12 points in seven games for Finland and being named the tournament’s top defenseman. He plays with men in Finland’s top league, the SM-Liiga and does not look out of place, often hitting 20+ minutes per game as a 17 year-old. The Stars selected him third overall, and he has all the parts to become a future Norris-calibre defenseman. The Finnish standout measured in at 6’1” at the NHL Draft Combine this past month while weighing in at 172 lbs.
Heiskanen combines his excellent smooth skating ability with a complete toolbox of offensive and defensive abilities, highlighted by his great vision, creativity, passing ability and defensive positioning. He doesn’t shy away from playing a physical game either despite not having an overwhelmingly large frame. He could, however, stand to add more bulk to his frame as he is a little on the frail side. He isn’t as flashy of a player and doesn’t project to have as much offensive upside as Liljegren, but he is by far the most complete and NHL-ready defenseman in the draft. He could still probably use another year in the Liiga or the AHL to further develop his offensive game, but people shouldn’t be surprised if he makes the Stars opening night roster right out of training camp.
1. Cale Makar
The last player on this list is a player that has certainly taken the path less traveled.
Makar played Junior A for the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). Junior A is considered a lower tier league than any of the three CHL leagues for Canadians; however, it is generally the path for players wanting to play American College hockey. Over the past 10 years, only seven players (including Makar) have been drafted in the 1st round coming out of Junior A, and only three of those players have been defensemen. None of that seemed to distract the Colorado Avalanche from tabbing Makar with the fourth overall pick.
Makar has been a force all season for the AJHL champion Bandits, registering 75 points in 54 games during the regular season, as well as another 18 points in 13 playoff games on route to a 12–0–1 playoff record, while also being named the MVP of the playoffs. He is a cerebral player, bursting with hockey sense and offensive awareness. He has an effortless skating stride with great acceleration, boasting a very quick and accurate wrist shot while also being a great passer with silky smooth hands. He is the only prospect outside of Hischier and Patrick (2017 #1 and #2 overall picks) that earned consideration for being the top pick in the Entry Draft by NHL scouts.
At 5’11” and 187 lbs, he needs to add more muscle so that he can engage more physically, and could also use some work on his slapshot. The full extent of his defensive game isn’t yet fully known. There could be some deficiencies aside from his physicality, but he has been such a step above his peers that no one has had a chance to expose any weaknesses.
Next season, Makar is poised to join UMass-Bathhurst, possibly the worst team in NCAA hockey last season. They are also part of the Hockey East division, one of the stronger divisions in college hockey. This is a great opportunity for him to prove that he has what it takes to carry a team against much stiffer competition. The coach at UMass is Greg Carvel, a former longtime Ottawa Senators assistant coach who worked tirelessly with Erik Karlsson during his first two NHL seasons. I’m not saying Makar is going to win multiple Norris Trophies, but it certainly won’t hurt to have a mentor with that kind of track record. Makar has all the tools to become an elite offensive star in the NHL.
Alec Avedissian is a hockey contributor for TheOcho.ca.
