2020 Draft: Top 10 defensemen

NHL.com is breaking down the top prospects by position ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft. Note: With the NHL season paused since March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, a date for the draft has yet to be determined.
Today, the top defensemen available.

Jamie Drysdale of Erie of the Ontario Hockey League and Jake Sanderson of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team headline an impressive list of defensemen projected to be selected early in the 2020 NHL Draft.
It wouldn't be too surprising to see eight defensemen chosen in the first round.
Drysdale is No. 3 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters and considered the best draft-eligible player at the position. Sanderson is No. 4 and among the top 10 players in the draft.
"Drysdale is certainly in a category of his own at the top of the draft, and the one defender who has significantly moved up in draft consideration to challenge is Jake Sanderson," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "He has continued to display that he has the skills and attributes to be an all-star in the NHL."
There were 66 defensemen taken in the 2019 NHL Draft, including 10 in the first round. Bowen Byram was first defenseman off the board, going to the Colorado Avalanche at No. 4. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche on July 19, 2019.
Here are NHL.com's top 10 defensemen available for the 2020 draft:

1. Jamie Drysdale, Erie (OHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 3 (North American skaters)
The right-handed shot (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) was named a 2019-20 OHL First-Team All-Star. He's capable of running the power play and driving offense with his skating and elite hockey sense. Drysdale scored 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists), including 22 power-play points, in 49 games. He scored three points (one goal, two assists) in seven games while averaging 11:38 in ice time to help Canada win the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

2. Jake Sanderson, USA U-18 (NTDP)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 4 (North American skaters)
Sanderson is to the 2019-20 NTDP U-18 team what Jack Hughes was to it last season: its most valuable player. The son of former NHL forward Geoff Sanderson is a mobile puck mover with a dominant defensive mindset and steadily improving offensive game. Sanderson (6-2, 185), who was NTDP captain and will attend the University of North Dakota next season, scored 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists), three power-play goals and was plus-13 in 47 games. He could be the first player born and trained in Montana to play in the NHL.

3. Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 8 (North American skaters)
The left-handed shot (6-2, 186) plays big minutes at a high pace and has proven to be effective in all areas of the ice. He's regarded as a two-way defenseman with good skating, a hard shot and imposing size. Guhle, the brother of Anaheim Ducks defenseman prospect Brendan Guhle, scored 40 points (11 goals, 29 assists), including 16 power-play points (five goals, 11 assists), in 64 games.

4. Braden Schneider, Brandon (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 9 (North American skaters)
A right-handed shot and two-way player capable of playing the power play and penalty kill with great competitiveness and smarts, he's a more physically developed prospect and finishes checks with authority in all areas of the ice. Schneider (6-2, 202) scored 42 points (seven goals, 35 assists), including 20 power-play points (two goals, 18 assists), and was plus-9 in 60 games.

5. Justin Barron, Halifax (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 16 (North American skaters)
The right-handed shot (6-2, 195), who returned Feb. 26 after missing three months with a blood clot, scored 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 34 games. He's an exceptional skater and capable of making a smooth transition out of the defensive zone. Barron's brother, center Morgan Barron, was chosen by the New York Rangers in the sixth round (No. 174) of the 2017 NHL Draft. Justin has scored 81 points (15 goals, 66 assists) and is plus-41 in 153 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games.

6. Helge Grans, Malmo (SWE)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 6 (International skaters)
The right-handed shot (6-2, 206) was one of the most improved players in Sweden, according to NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb. He scored 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 27 games with Malmo's junior team in the SuperElit, ranking third among all defensemen in the league in points per game (1.00). Grans played 21 games for Malmo in the Swedish Hockey League, scoring three points (one goal, two assists). He's not overly physical but offers good vision and understanding of the game, can move and can transition the puck well.

7. Jeremie Poirier, Saint John (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 18 (North American skaters)
A high-end offensive defenseman with good puck skills, hockey sense and game-breaking ability, he led QMJHL defensemen with 20 goals and 261 shots on goal, and was second with 53 points in 64 games. Poirier (6-0, 196) has great edgework and can process the game well under pressure. He also went 2-for-2 in the shootout.

8. Topi Niemela, Karpat (FIN)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 8 (International skaters)
The right-handed shot (5-10, 156) offers a calming presence in all situations and plays a simple, effective game. Niemela scored seven points (one goal, six assists), was plus-4 and had 100 shots on goal in 43 games while averaging 12:51 in ice time in Liiga, the top professional men's league in Finland.

9. William Wallinder, Modo Jr. (SWE-JR)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 14 (International skaters)
The left-shot defenseman, who has a style similar to Travis Sanheim of the Philadelphia Flyers, is at his best in the defensive zone but showed an improving offensive game by joining the rush and getting the puck to the net. Wallinder (6-4, 191), who scored 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 37 games in SuperElit, Sweden's junior league, signed a contract April 7 to play for Modo in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second division, in 2020-21.

10. Daemon Hunt, Moose Jaw (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 25 (North American skaters)
A two-way defenseman who plays a good team game, Hunt is smart, physical and works hard. The left-handed shot (6-foot, 198) missed 32 games after having surgery to repair a laceration on his arm from a skate blade Dec. 3 but finished with 15 assists in 28 games. Hunt, an alternate captain for Moose Jaw, has scored 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) with 151 shots on goal in 94 WHL games.
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