Welcome back to The Journey, where we follow hockey prospects and their paths to the NHL, providing fantasy predictions and analysis along the way.

This week, we will delve into Dobber's August edition of the Top 50 Fantasy Prospect Defensemen list, and find the blueliners who have risen in value. First and foremost, there are four freshly-drafted prospects who have appeared for the first time ever on this list, and they deserve a little introduction.

Newest Additions

Luke Hughes, LD – New Jersey Devils

August ranking: 15th

The top 2021 NHL draftee on this list, Hughes beats out the most recent first-overall pick, Owen Power, due to his impressive array of offensive tools.  Although Power is more certain to see NHL playing time, Hughes' ceiling is higher due to his elite-level skating, along with his ability to find and create seams to distribute the puck.

O brother, Luke Hughes highlights for you! #NHLDraft (🎥: @USAHockeyNTDP) https://t.co/1o8RuPtfC5 pic.twitter.com/Usx4v8qmcG

— NHL (@NHL) July 24, 2021

His skill set indicates that he might be a premium offensive defenseman in the making, and one of the best prospect defensemen to have in a points-only dynasty league. The Devils prospect has top power-play quarterback potential, which sees him crack the top 15.

Owen Power, LD – Buffalo Sabres

August ranking: 20th

The 2021 first-overall pick appears in the top 20, mainly due to his impressive blend of size, skating and skill. He closes gaps efficiently and pinches down on opposing forwards breaking out of their zone, while being able to pass and shoot at a very decent level.  His vision and decision-making can falter at times and he can put himself in unfortunate situations with some mishandles along the boards, but Power's game is generally mature and composed.

Watch the passing from the Wolverines as they make it a 8-0 game.

Pretty feeds all around that result in Owen Power's first NCAA goal. Michigan looks legit today. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/3UvLzm3S56

— Stars n' Stripes Hockey (@StarsStripesHKY) November 14, 2020

For a 6-6 prospect, his physical presence could be improved, but he remains hard to budge in front of the net. He will return to Michigan this season and likely be ready for the NHL in 2022-2023, although an extra year playing on the Wolverines' stacked roster and learning to dominate the NCAA level could not harm him in the slightest.

Brandt Clarke, RD – Los Angeles Kings

August ranking: 23rd

Clarke finds himself in the top half of this list thanks to his impressive blend of offensive smarts and defensive responsibility.  His habits are good, and he reads the game quickly and accurately.  His skating does need some fine-tuning, but his edgework is very sound, and his mind more than makes up for his lack of high-end top speed.

Here is my highlight of what Brandt Clarke #55 did in Slovakia. He was really amazing. Enjoy!#2021NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/HTtAnQGTwq

— Marek Novotny (@MarekNovotny96) March 21, 2021

He can navigate small pockets of space well on both sides of the rink, and closes in on the slot very efficiently when carrying or receiving the puck at the blue line. A great eventual replacement for the aging Drew Doughty, who shares a similar playing style with Clarke.

Simon Edvinsson, LD – Detroit Red Wings

August ranking: 49th

The Wings' sixth-overall pick of 2021 is the final new addition of the top-50, and barely sneaks in at 49th. He has a playmaking streak, can carry the puck effortlessly with his smooth skating stride and his stickhandling skills, and has a towering frame at 6-5. He mainly utilizes his frame by means of his massive reach, which serves to break up passes and block carry attempts that come his way, although he can still throw the shoulder with force.

Highlights of @DetroitRedWings 6th overall pick, Simon Edvinsson!#LGRW #2021NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/9LmevBQYmg

— Dylan Krill (@dylan_krill) July 24, 2021

When pressured into distributing the puck on breakouts, Edvinsson can precipitate his movements and can end up giving the puck back to the opponent through failed dump-outs and missed passes — if he overcomes this considerable obstacle to NHL-readiness, he will likely climb this list like a ladder.

Risers

Cam York, LD – Philadelphia Flyers

June: 25     July: 11   August: 10

York's rise in the rankings comes after the puck-moving defenseman improved his NCAA production rate, played wonderfully at the World Juniors, and earned five points in eight AHL games on his way to his first three NHL games. Not a bad Draft +2 season for the American blueliner, who excels on the offensive side while offering great rush defense for his team.

When Cam York jumps into the play, good luck trying to contain him.

Great play from Johnny to find Cam rushing into the o-zone. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/xPt0bboqKs

— Raine Hernandez (@BringerOfRaine) December 4, 2020

On top of his outstanding playmaking from the back-end, York can shoot the puck well and gets involved in offensive plays regularly, making him a great power-play option on a Flyers team looking for additional depth at the back-end as soon as this upcoming season.

Samuel Bolduc, LD – New York Islanders

June: 58     July: 56   August: 41

Bolduc appears in the top-50 after missing out in the prior two months, mainly due to his production at the AHL level — a feat that most of the prospects he dislodged have yet to accomplish. He finished second-overall on the struggling Bridgeport Sound Tigers roster in goals (6), points (14) and plus-minus (5) in 24 games. This doesn't happen often for a rookie, let alone a defenseman, but Bolduc's booming shot and mobility, along with ample ice-time and opportunities, allowed him to be a main offensive weapon for the AHL team.

Samuel Bolduc (@NYIslanders) picked up a pair of goals for @thesoundtigers in @TheAHL action yesterday, including a hail mary empty-net goal.@ArmadaBLB Alumni. #Isleshttps://t.co/pvj2VvTApy pic.twitter.com/fezfaET0Rw

— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) April 21, 2021

The tall (6-4), mobile two-way defenseman will likely spend another couple of months in the AHL to work on being more reactive and involved, but he could perhaps get a call-up in case of an injury, especially if he builds off of his rookie production from 2021.

Alexandre Carrier, RD – Nashville Predators

June: 71     July: 70   August: 48

Carrier sneaks into this month's re-evaluation of the top 50 for a similar reason to Bolduc, which is that they both have played professional hockey on North American ice and looked decent in the process. In Carrier's case, he managed to earn more than 20 minutes of ice-time per game in the NHL on a regular basis, as the Preds saw his defensive reliability and flashes of offense and recognized their need for his brand of defender.

NHL Video Highlight – Alexandre Carrier scores against the Tampa Bay Lightning to make it 2-4. pic.twitter.com/r98U0f70jL

— Lightning Game Bot (@lightning_game) March 14, 2021

Although he only earned three points in 19 games, Carrier looked solid and dependable on the team's bottom-two pairs. He even appeared in all six of the team's playoff games in 2021, earning two assists. He could very well be an NHL regular as soon as October.

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