The Journey examines Dobber’s Top 50 Prospect Defensemen List, and assesses the fast risers in the July rankings. This month’s edition will focus on the newcomers to the Top Prospect Defensemen list who were drafted in the 2017 NHL Draft. Find out where they slot in below.

Miro Heiskanen – Dallas Stars – Debuts 8^th overall following the 2017 Draft

The first defenseman off the board at the 2017 NHL Draft is also the highest rated prospect defenseman in Dobber’s ranking. Obviously, the ranking system skews towards players who are the closest to the NHL, and Heiskanen has the highest proximity to talent combination. A top-pairing option for the Stars in the future, the Finnish blueliner will go to camp with an eye on a roster spot sooner rather than later. The fit with the Stars is solid, and will only boost his fantasy value. A top-four group that will include names like John Klingberg, Julius Honka, and Esa Lindell should be one to keep a close eye on for point generation in the future. Heiskanen will only add to that talented core.

Erik Brannstrom – Las Vegas Golden Knights – Debuts 9^th overall following the 2017 Draft

The third player drafted by Las Vegas in the first round, and the team’s first defenseman, was Brannstrom, who was taken with a pick from New York, acquired when the Islanders needed to ensure their lineup stayed intact.  Brannstrom is a skill guy whose offensive ceiling is quite high. He’s a terrific skater who will be a power-play contributor at the NHL level. The 15^th overall pick is tabbed to be back with HV71, and should improve on the six points that he put up in the SHL in his draft year as a 17-year-old. All three first rounders selected by Las Vegas will need time to grow, and should be on similar timelines when it comes to making a push for an NHL roster spot.

Timothy Liljegren – Toronto Maple Leafs – Debuts 10^th overall following the 2017 Draft

Just like in the NHL Draft, Liljegren is a boom or bust option for you in your fantasy draft. The defenseman who was tabbed before the season as a challenger for first overall slipped in the NHL draft to the Maple Leafs at 17, but has all the tools to be a productive, if not star, player both in the NHL and in fantasy formats. Getting a player like Liljegren who may have some warts but has undeniable offensive tools is a risk often worth taking in a dynasty league. He may fall a bit in your drafts due to the negative talk around him before the draft, but Toronto should be a solid destination for him with plenty of point potential.

Cale Makar – Colorado Avalanche – Debuts 14^th overall following the 2017 Draft

Makar is similar to Casey Mittelstadt, who we talked about last week in the Top 200 Prospect Forwards column. Like Mittelstadt, Makar carries one of the highest ceilings of any defensemen in the draft, especially from a point-producing perspective, but may be a little farther away from making an NHL impact. If you are willing to wait on him, and you are looking for the highest potential ceiling out there among blueliners, Makar is likely your guy. Colorado’s fit is good from the standpoint that he does not have too much depth chart competition in front of him, but you may want to knock him down a bit in full multi-category leagues.

Juuso Valimaki – Calgary Flames – Debuts 30^th overall following the 2017 Draft

Valimaki was one of the oldest first-year players in this draft class and it shows in his mature play. He is a two-way guy who will likely find a spot in an NHL top four for the majority of his career. In 60 games for Tri-City of the WHL last year, Valimaki was a point-per-game player with 19 goals and 42 assists, earning a spot on the WHL’s All Star second team. Likely at the NHL level we will see a little bit less production from a point generation perspective but he’s a guy who will play a ton of minutes and can be relied upon in all situations. A 30- to 40-point player who is more valuable in multi-category leagues as he will be a terrific shot blocker and should chip in with hits as well.

Pierre-Oliver Joseph  – Arizona Coyotes – Debuts 38^th overall following the 2017 Draft

There may be a couple defensemen on this list who might be overlooked, but like Valimaki will still provide plenty of value in multi-category fantasy formats. Joseph, who was selected by Arizona with the 23^rd overall pick is a bit of a project and still very much a raw prospect but he has the tools to be an impact player once he develops. He is a top-four option with good leadership qualities and some physical bite to his game, and still should be able to be a secondary option for point production from the back end. He took a big step forward offensively a season ago and should continue that growth this coming season in the QMJHL.

Nic Hague – Las Vegas Knights – Debuts 39^th overall following the 2017 Draft

Most of the prospects on this list are of a similar mold physically, but Hague is an outlier at 6’6” and 220 pounds. He slipped to the second round and was scooped up by the Las Vegas Golden Knights with the 34^th overall pick. Often with a player of Hague’s size, he is pigeon-holed into being a shutdown defenseman, but the big blueliner does have some offensive aspects to his game. He’s never going to be the most mobile defenseman, but he does have a big shot and will certainly bring peripheral stats to the table.

Henri Jokiharju – Chicago Blackhawks – Debuts 46^th overall following the 2017 Draft

Chicago typically goes under the radar with their draft picks because they are often selecting at the end of the first round. After not having a first rounder since 2014, the Blackhawks decided to hang on to their selection and draft Portland’s Jokiharju, who posted 48 points in 71 WHL games. The right-handed distributor is an above average skater, and a defenseman who can control tempo from the back end with his ability to wheel out of trouble or pinpoint a stretch pass to one of his forwards. The young Finn plays the transition style that is a must in today’s NHL, and should continue to develop offensively in his post draft season. For the casual fan, Jokiharju may be a name that is overlooked in amateur drafts but if you need a defenseman and some of the top names are off the board, don’t hesitate to look in his direction.

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