The Journey: Risers and Fallers from the Top-50 Fantasy Prospect Defensemen – April Edition

Puneet Sharma

2025-05-10

Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.

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This week, we are diving into the April edition of Dobber's top-50 points-only dynasty defense prospects ranking. Although it's a points-only criteria, I will still touch on the multi-cat potential for a few of these prospects. There is a solid mix of intriguing prospects out there, some already on rosters offering immediate value, and others waiting for their big break. Let's kick things off with the one prospect who made a big jump up the rankings.

Risers:

Zayne Parekh

Calgary Flames

February: 8 / March: 7 / April: 3

Parekh's stock increased in a major way this season with a record-breaking run for the OHL's Saginaw Spirit, recording 107 points (33 goals, 74 assists) over just 57 games. He then capped off an outstanding year by making his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames, scoring his first career goal in a 5–1 victory over the LA Kings. Parekh sees the ice at an elite level; threading passes through tight lanes and controlling the power play with confidence and composure. His NHLe rating of 46.4 points to strong top-four upside and a legitimate shot at running a future NHL power play. The tools are all there and Parekh looks very close to being NHL ready.

Lian Bichsel

Dallas Stars

February: 57 / March: 52 / April: 21

Bichsel's path to the NHL included time in the SHL with Rögle BK before making the jump to North America. In his first stretch with the Texas Stars (AHL), he registered nine points across 21 games. As a 6-foot-6, 233-pound defender, Bichsel brings a naturally physical edge and a steady, dependable presence on the back end. He made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars in mid-December this season and has stuck with the team since.

Offense is not the focus of Bichsel's game. Instead, he leans into physicality and sound defensive play, and in 38 regular-season games, he posted nine points and delivered 155 hits, quietly offering fantasy value in formats that reward peripherals. With Miro Heiskanen sidelined with an injury, Dallas has relied on a committee approach to fill the void, and Bichsel's shutdown style has taken on added importance, especially as the Stars playoff run continues.

Elias Pettersson

Vancouver Canucks

February: 67 / March: 68 / April: 34

Pettersson's ranking jumped from 68th in March to 34th in April and it felt driven more by circumstance than by pure performance. The last quarter of the Canucks' season saw a lot of turbulence—key injuries to Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, the JT Miller trade, plus setbacks to depth defensive pieces like Derek Forbort and Tyler Myers, created a vacuum on the blue line. His call-up looked more like a move out of necessity than a reflection of developmental timing. That said, with 46 AHL games across two seasons and 34 games in HockeyAllsvenskan already on his résumé, there is a case to be made that he was NHL-ready. Still, the question lingers, if the roster had stayed healthy, would he have seen 28 games of NHL action this year?

To his credit, Pettersson made the most of the opportunity. He recorded three points while averaging 12:49 in ice time and did see an increase in his TOI in the last 10 games of the season. Regardless of that, he continues to hold his place as a top-three prospect in the Canucks' pipeline. He is a physical, defense-first blueliner who can bring value through awareness and edge more than offensive upside.

Anton Silayev

New Jersey Devils

February: 76 / March: 76 / April: 39

Much like the Chicago Blackhawks, the New Jersey Devils are loaded on the back end when it comes to prospect depth. With Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes already fixtures in the NHL, and both Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey getting a taste of big-league minutes, it feels like only a matter of time before Silayev joins the mix. That said, his timeline looks a little further out.

Skating for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL this season, he posted 2 goals and 10 assists over 63 games. It is not an insane stat line but Silayev is 6-foot-7, 211 pounds, competing against grown men in one of the world's toughest leagues, at just 18 years old. Let that sink in. He combines rare size and physicality with elite skating. His edge work and mobility allow him to close gaps and transition the play into offense quickly. The key question moving forward is how his frame will evolve and whether added muscle affects his agility or pace. Even so, the upside here is enormous.

Adam Jiricek

St. Louis Blues

February: 135 / March: 131 / April: 45

Jiricek's year has been anything but smooth, defined by a tough recovery process. He experienced two knee injuries—one suffered just before the World Juniors and another early in the tournament, with the latter requiring surgery that ultimately ending his season. He made his return in early March, joining the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL. Over 27 games to close out the year, he posted four goals and eight assists, a solid showing given the extended absence from the game.

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Trying to evaluate Jiricek's full game is a challenge considering the injuries and time missed. His ability to battle back speaks volumes and the hope remains that he can get back on track and develop into a dependable, two-way presence on the blue line.

Adam Engstrom

Montreal Canadians

February: 129 / March: 124 / April: 45

Engström has made a seamless jump from Rögle BK in the SHL to the Laval Rocket in the AHL. He wrapped up his first year in North America with five goals and 22 assists over 66 games, strong production for a rookie adjusting to a faster, more physical league. He has handled the physicality and tighter defensive demands well, and his skating continues to stand out as a key strength. With good size and mobility, he already looks physically prepared for NHL minutes. While he may not sit at the top of Montreal's blueline prospect depth chart, Engström brings value as a steady, well-rounded option with room to grow.

Oliver Bonk

Philadelphia Flyers

February: 147 / March: 144 / April: 46

Bonk is widely viewed as one of the top two prospects in the Flyers system and Philadelphia appears fully invested in his trajectory and eager to see how he develops at the NHL level. This season did not match the offensive output he posted last year, when he put up 67 points in 60 games with the London Knights. He still turned in a solid effort, finishing with 11 goals and 29 assists in 52 games (0.77 points per game).

He has however, stepped up in the playoffs, adding 10 points through 13 games as the Knights prepare to face the Oshawa Generals (Game 2) tonight at 7 p.m. in what should be an exciting finals matchup. His excitement for the Flyers and connection to the city of Philadelphia only add to the positive signs as he continues to push toward the NHL.

Tristan Bertucci

Dallas Stars

February: 140 / March: 136 / April: 50

Bertucci was a bright spot on a tough Flint Firebirds roster last season, putting up 44 points in 61 games while logging heavy minutes. That set the stage for another strong year following his move to the Barrie Colts. He followed it up with seven goals and 30 assists over 52 regular-season games, closely matching his previous point-per-game production.

Much like Bonk in the playoffs, Bertucci took another step forward. He recorded 18 points in 16 games as Barrie advanced to the OHL semi-finals before falling to the Oshawa Generals. That postseason push helped vault him into the top 50 prospect rankings. Bertucci is still expected to continue his development at the pro level. With a deep defensive core already in place in Dallas, there is no pressure to rush him, giving him the runway he needs to round out his game.

Fallers:

Artem Duda

Utah Mammoth

February: 26 / March: 25 / April: 40

There were not many significant fallers in the latest rankings, but one name that drew a bit of attention was Duda of the newly named Utah Mammoth. There is no real concern here, as Duda is simply going through the adjustment process that comes with adapting to the North American game.

Duda held his own last season with Toronto Metropolitan University in the USports League before making the jump to the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners. Considering the leap from the MHL to USports and now to the AHL, he has managed the transition reasonably well. That said, it is clear he remains in a developmental phase and will need additional time to settle in and round out his game.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey.

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