New Jersey Devils: Evaluating NHL Draft Eligible Defensemen’s Ceiling And Floor
By Nick Villano
Jamie Drysdale
Jamie Drysdale is the best defenseman in the draft and it isn’t close. However, this isn’t the same as past years where there is a Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar, or Bowen Byram who is a rock-solid number one. Drysdale is really good, but there are some concerns. Despite that, if the Devils have a top pick, even the third overall, they could go after Drysdale. So, what could they be getting if they draft the top defenseman?
His Ceiling:
Drysdale has an insane upside. He’s been a points machine with the Erie Otters of the OHL. He put up 87 points in the last two seasons (112 games). The best part of his game is his first step. It’s something that has really helps forwards, but in today’s NHL it also helps defensemen. One of the most important aspects of a number-one defenseman is getting the puck out of the zone. An awesome first step will help that.
In a best-case-scenario, Drysdale would be ready to dominate the NHL in one year. His unique combination of skill and intelligence is perfect for what we’re expecting from NHL defensemen of 2020. There is just so much he can do just in that rookie year.
Then, there’s the rest of his career. While he’s not the prospect that Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes are, there’s no reason he can’t be just like them and maybe even better over the long run (although we don’t know what Hughes and Makar’s long run is). Hughes actually makes a lot of sense when looking at the possibilities of Drysdale. His biggest detractor is his size, both just under 6’0 tall. However, it’s not like we’re talking about Brian Gionta here. They are just the type of players that would rather skate around you and make you look bad.
His Floor:
Drysdale might have the highest ceiling, but he actually doesn’t have the highest floor in the NHL Draft. It’s not because he has major bust potential, but the potential is there. There’s zero chance he misses the NHL entirely barring an injury. However, he’s not a lock to become a top-line defender.
Something we may worry about is the exact thing we saw with Hughes brother Jack Hughes this season. Sometimes when the smartest prospects enter the league, confidence can be shaken when the speed of the professional game is quicker than they expected. Drysdale is usually one of the fastest players on the ice at any given time, and he can make the smart play because there are multiple mistakes happening at once. That’s not happening in the NHL. There are fewer mistakes to take advantage of, and if he looks for a mistake 9 times out of 10 he won’t find it. How will he react when that perfect play isn’t available? Will he be tentative?
The tape will be out that Drysdale doesn’t initiate contact. It’s not a huge deal overall, but it might be something veteran NHL players use to their advantage. How can he handle the heat?
He’s also prone to the mistake when he’s put on his heels. Drysdale is not the type of player that’s going to pinch when he’s not supposed to, but if his partner does and he’s left playing on a 2-on-1, he tends to make the desperate play that leaves him up for simple moves leaving his goalie high and dry.
Don’t get us wrong, Drysdale is the best defenseman in this draft. However, there’s a steep floor here that we didn’t see with top prospects of seasons past. There’s a chance Drysdale makes it to the NHL and is not a game changer. He could still be a good defenseman, but just good isn’t always good enough.