This week's The Journey reviews the fastest-rising prospect defencemen from Dobber's prospect list.

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The Journey examines Dobber’s Top 50 Prospect Defensemen list, and assesses the fast risers in the May rankings. Although the top of the ranking has largely remained the same, there are some new names who have snuck into the back end of the Top 50.

Brendan Guhle –Buffalo Sabres – 25^th Overall, Up from 43^rd Overall

Behind Rasmus Ristolainen, the Buffalo Sabres don’t have a ton game-changing talent on their NHL blueline or bursting at the seams of their system. That’s likely why they will be spending the eighth overall pick in June on a rearguard rather than a forward. Guhle is probably the Sabres best defensive prospect in their system currently, and projects to a top-four minute-muncher down the road. 

After starting the season in Prince Albert of the WHL, Guhle was moved to Prince George where his play took off. He surpassed the 28 points that he posted in 2015-16 in just 32 games with the Cougars this season, where he was nearly a point-per-game player from the back-end. For a player who had never been over a half a point-per-game in his career, that was quite a jump. Guhle is a prototypical modern-day defenseman with good size who can skate, hit, and drive offense. He is reliable in all zones, and is often found jumping up and joining the rush. Although Guhle, who was a late ‘97 birth year when he was drafted, could use some seasoning, Buffalo may need him in the NHL lineup sooner rather than later.

Jeremy Lauzon– Boston Bruins – 45^th Overall, Up from 64^th Overall

So much was made of the Boston Bruins 2015 draft, with most of it negative after the selections of Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk and Zachary Senyshyn in the first round. However, their second-round picks should be applauded. Brandon Carlo has already made an impact at the NHL level, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson has put together a couple good seasons at Boston University, and Jeremy Lauzon appears to have a future as a lanky playmaker with offensive tendencies.

In his draft year, Lauzon put up 50 in 46 games for Rouyn-Noranda, but slowed down a bit this season due to injury. Playing in just 39 games in the regular season, the 6’3” defenseman had just 28 points, but was back to his over his point-per-game ways in the playoffs for the Huskies with 14 points in 13 games. Throughout his QMJHL career, Lauzon has also racked up the penalty minutes, for those in multi-category fantasy leagues. A player of his offensive ability and grit should be on your radar.

Nicolas Meloche – Colorado Avalanche – 46^th Overall, Up from 100^th Overall

Drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft, Meloche has bounced between three QMJHL teams over the last two seasons.  However, his movement has been more predicated by contending teams trying to add a game-changer then any issues that Meloche has had at any stop.

This past year, 2016-17, was his best season in junior, splitting time between Gatineau and Charlottetown, and registering 47 points in 51 games. The 6’3”, 210-pound defenseman is an offensive presence but also has a physical edge to his game that will make him a fantasy asset to those trying to fill in peripheral stats. He isn’t the best skater, but is positionally sound, and can be a difference-maker at even strength and with both special teams units. Colorado has had to endure a brutal last 12 months, but some help could be on the horizon with Mikko Rantanen’s success in his rookie season, and both Tyson Jost and Meloche as prospects looking to make the jump.

Christian Djoos – Washington Capitals – 47^th Overall, Up from 68^th Overall

When you are typically drafting at the end of the first round as Washington has done for much of the past decade, you rely on depth players coming from later rounds in the draft. It appears that’s exactly what the Capitals may have found in the Swedish-born blueliner.

The 22-year-old Djoos was selected in the seventh round in 2012, as an undersized defenseman out of the Brynas system in the Swedish Hockey League. He showed flashes of his offensive potential playing against men in Sweden, but his offense took off when he made the shift to the AHL’s Hersey Bears. Djoos put up 22 points in 62 games in 2015-16 but he escalated his play with 9 points in 21 games in the Calder Cup playoffs in a runner-up effort, losing to the Lake Erie Monsters. Building off his successful playoff run the year prior the rearguard broke out in 2016-17, finishing third in the AHL in scoring with 58 points in 66 games. With the Capitals defense in flux this summer, Djoos could get a long look at camp this fall as a potential depth option on the blueline.

Vili Saarijarvi – Detroit Red Wings – 50^th Overall, Up from 67^th Overall

Saarijarvi grew up in the Karpat system in Finland, but decided to make the jump to North America prior to being drafted by an NHL organization. He spent his draft season in the USHL with Green Bay, and then shifted to the OHL following his selection by the Red Wings 73^rd overall in 2015.

The dynamic offensive defenseman spent a dysfunctional season with Flint in 2015-16, before being moved to a much more stable Mississauga organization this season. He was a member of the Finnish World Junior team that disappointed after winning gold a year ago, but overall, Saarijarvi had a solid campaign. His 31 points in regular season games were impressive, and he was an integral part of the Steelheads run to the OHL finals with 15 points in 20 postseason games. He is great in transition, and has improved in the defensive zone since his draft year. He should spend the majority of 2017-18 in Grand Rapids with the Red Wings AHL affiliate.

More from The Journey:

Rising Stock Among 2016 NHL Draftees

Which Top Prospects Are The Best Fits

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