8 Names to Know: Defensemen

There is becoming a time crunch to finish everything

Just like with forwards, I did mention 2 of the defenseman the Hurricanes took last year. Kurban Limatov felt like a prototypical Canes pick, down to him being picked later than public perception and public scouting boards. Roman Bausov was an honorable mention last year and that was solely because he was a large Russian defenseman who skated well.

To the shock of no one, that trend will be HEAVILY repeated here. The smallest defenseman I’ll mention today is 6’0 (which is small for Hurricanes standards but it’s at Matt’s insistance). Most of them have good skating grades, besides one very specific player that Matt mentioned that has stuck in my head who will be an honorable mention. With that, let me introduce some defenseman to keep in mind.

Tommy Bleyl, RHD (Moncton, QMJHL)

This and the next guy I’ll mention are both the “stretch” picks, guys that projected to be around in the late 20s but will most likely be gone by the time the Canes eventually pick. For Bleyl, he’s a divisive prospect.

Bleyl is a great skating right handed defenseman. He had 81 points in 63 QMJHL games and was an extremely important player for Moncton’s deep run this year. Moves the puck well and has become exceptional at running a power play. The downside is the defense and his height, standing a shade under 5’11. The height make me think the Canes won’t think too hard about him, but the skating and offensive game make him an intriguing prospect.

Nikita Shcherbakov, LHD (Toros, VHL)

The other guy who has a good chance to be gone by the time the Canes pick, Shcherbakov is an easily projectable player.

Sometimes, all it takes is being a rangy defenseman with good size who can skate really well and make the smart play and you’ll get a lot of praise. Shcherbakov fits all of this, standing just a shade under 6’4 and being a dependable defender who fits a good amount of roles. He’s also Russian, which the Canes have shown no hesitancy in drafting over the years.

Alexander Grunin, LHD (Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk, MHL)

The only scouting service (as of writing this) that has Grunin ranked at all is EliteProspects. They have him at 82, in that sweet spot of late third round. They even describe him as “one of the draft’s best kept secrets.”

(I couldn’t find an image of Grunin, sorry!)

If you remember why Limatov and Bausov felt like prototypical Canes picks, it’s because they are extremely fluid skaters who had another aspect working for them. Grunin is the exact same. He’s a fluid skater whose other trait is his physicality. Grunin feels like an extremely prototypical Canes pick in the mid rounds.

Mans Gudmundsson, RHD (Farjestad BK U20, U20 Nationell)

Elite name aside, Gudmundsson has the size you’d like to see in a defenseman while also having the defensive side of his game more well rounded than others on this list.

Projected in the late 2nd round, Mans is a physical defender who has good range with the combination of his skating and stick work. While he had 25 points in 35 games, he only had 3 primary points at even strength. The defensive ability will carry him in terms of what he can be at the NHL level.

Lincoln Kuehne, RHD (Arizona State, NCAA)

While on the slightly smaller size for defenseman the Canes have drafted over the past few years, standing just under 6’2, Kuehne has a play style that just makes sense.

Kuehne has a simple game. He does nothing over the top, just keeps everything simple. He’s got good skating ability and has played against good competition while at Arizona State. He’s a later round prospect and with the safer projection, it sounds like a decent player to take on chance on.

Landon Nycz, LHD (UMass, NCAA)

Again, another player who has played college hockey already and one that has good size and good skating. His last name is pronounced like “eyes”, by the way.

Like I mentioned above, Nycz’s skating propels him into 4th or 5th round conversations, even while getting limited ice time on UMass. Scouts rave about his mobility and defensive ability, specifically with his stick.

Ben Macbeath, LHD (Calgary Hitmen, WHL)

Besides having one of the cooler last names in this draft (one that I’ve already butchered one or two time), Macbeath checks a lot of boxes of defenseman the Canes draft, even while being in a league the Canes haven’t drafted from since Seth Jarvis in 2020.

I had to double check but that’s a real stat, Macbeath (if drafted) would be the first Canes pick from the WHL in 6 years. There’s a legit case for him in the late 2nd or early 3rd, as he’s another strong skating big defenseman who defends rush chances really well. A neat stat that EliteProspects has is that he was 5th in points by first time draft eligible defenseman.

Jakub Floris, RHD (Lukko U20, U20 SM-sarja)

For the last name, let’s look at fun project player currently playing in Finland. Floris is a raw, mobile defenseman who has the size and physicality to be an NHL defenseman farther down the line.

Floris has some interesting traits in his game. His skating is a big one, being able to move fluidly and quickly. The offense has some intrigue, nearly producing at a .5 ppg pace while getting 10 goals in 38 games. The rest of his game is a work in progress, which leads him to being in the early 3rd round talks. With Floris, my reasoning is that the Canes don’t need a young defenseman to be ready soon. They have their core and have younger players (Legault and Nystrom) ready to play full time when needed. Taking the long term approach with someone could be a good idea.

Honorable Mentions

Alexander Karmanov, LHD (North Bay Battalion, OHL)

Ok, I’m breaking my self-imposed rule of skating well defenseman only because I have to mention Karmanov. If you shockingly don’t know about him, Karmanov went viral for being the tallest hockey player ever, standing at 7 feet tall. This is his draft year and his tape in the OHL has shown promise in his game, so some team will take the chance that his skating drastically improves. I will say, if you check out his Instagram, he’s got pictures with Andrei Svechnikov.

Yaroslav Matyev, LHD (Amurskie Tigry Khabarovsk, MHL)

He’s 6’5, 220 pounds. He plays a super physical game. He skates decently and has some defensive projectability.

Vslevolod Matveyev, RHD (MHK Spartak Moscow, MHL)

He’s 6’2 with great skating ability and the offense has some real intrigue. Biggest concern is his hockey sense.

Alexander Ivanov, LHD (Bars Kazan, VHL)

A player who just turned 18 three days ago, Ivanov didn’t play another MHL games this year, playing all year in the VHL and KHL. He’s big and well rounded but nothing stands out.