2020 NHL Draft Primer: Defencemen

Teams will have plenty of options when it comes to quality defencemen at the 2020 NHL Draft. Here are just a few names near the top of the NHL Central Scouting rankings.

Jamie Drysdale
After making the OHL's First All-Rookie Team in 2018-19, defenceman Jamie Drysdale improved on that effort in 2019-20.
His 47 points in 49 games with the Erie Otters earned him a spot on the league's First All-Star Team in a season that also included a gold medal with Canada at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
The product of Toronto, Ontario is the third ranked North American skater, but the highest ranked defenceman on that list. The 5'11", 170-pound right-shot defenceman also played for the OHL All-Stars in this season's Junior Super Series against Russia.
NHL Central Scouting Report:Exceptional skater with an excellent transition game that can drive play and push the pace from the back end. A two-way defenceman with excellent offensive ability.

Jake Sanderson
Right next to Drysdale on NHL Central Scouting's North American Skater list is Jake Sanderson, a left-shot American defenceman, who spent the 2019-20 campaign with Team USA in the USHL and the National Team Development Program.
Sanderson was the team captain and led all defencemen with seven goals and 29 points in 47 games. He has NHL ties, as his father - Geoff Sanderson - was selected 36th overall by the Hartford Whalers in in 1990, and played in 1,104 games recording 700 points.
NHL Central Scouting Report:Excellent skater who plays all parts of the game at a quick pace. Elite hockey sense allows him to be effective on the attack and while defending.

Kaiden Guhle
Speaking of NHL ties, Kaiden Guhle also has a connection to the league. His brother - Brendan - was a second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2015 and appeared in 30 games for the Anaheim Ducks in 2020.
Kaiden won a WHL championship with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2018-19, and followed that up with a silver medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this season. After recording 17 points in his first full WHL season, Guhle racked up 11 goals and 40 points in 2019-20, which led all Prince Albert defenceman. His 40 points were the sixth most on the Raiders this season.
NHL Central Scouting Report:An excellent skater with quick acceleration who is mobile and elusive when defending. Can be very physical with open ice hits.

Braden Schneider
Just as Guhle led his team's defencemen in points, a Prince Albert, Saskatchewan product did the same for the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Braden Schneider, the ninth-ranked skater on the North American list, had seven goals and 42 points with the Wheat Kings in 2019-20.
Those numbers earned him a spot on the WHL East First All-Star Team. Schneider also scored the game-winner in the CHL Top Prospects Game, in addition to suiting up for the WHL All-Stars in the Junior Super Series.
Schneider stands at 6'2" and 209 pounds and shoots right-handed. He attended Hockey Canada's virtual summer camp in late July as one of the hopefuls to make the 2021 World Junior squad after being a late cut for the 2020 team.
NHL Central Scouting Report:Displays a strong presence on the ice. Makes big hits in all three zones. Strong on his skates and hard to knock off the puck.
Helge Grans
The top-ranked defenceman on the European Skater list comes in the sixth spot.
Grans, a 6'2" right shot blue liner split his time between the Swedish Hockey League and the Swedish Junior League in 2019-20.
At the SHL level - Sweden's top league - Grans had one goal and three points with the Malmo Redhawks in 21 games. Internationally, he helped Sweden to a bronze medal at this year's Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
NHL Central Scouting Report:Big, strong, offensive-minded two-way defenceman. A smart playmaker and passer. Honest competitor who plays with a lot of confidence.
Topi Niemela
The second of only two defencemen in the top 10 of the European Skater list, Niemela spent the majority of the 2019-20 season with Karpat of the Finnish Elite League. He had one goal and seven points in 43 games, just one season after he helped Karpat's junior team to a league championship in 2018-19.
Niemela stands at 5'10" and - like Grans - is a right-handed shot. He had three assists in three games with Finland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
NHL Central Scouting Report:Skilled, quick defenceman who likes to join the rush. Reliable, but not flashy. High hockey IQ.