I know this won't be a popular opinion but I am not sold on Drysdale being more than a 2/4 dman at the next level. I have seen him play in person a couple of times and several of his games and while I think he is a good man at the level he plays at and certainly has a solid two way aspect to his game he fades allot and has average hand speed. He is a good skater but not elite when compared to his peers. He has solid defensive instincts but but not intuitive play reading skills like the very elite have or seem to have. I like him a ton and think he will be an NHLer but am just not sold on what he will become as he matriculates on to the next level. I get it wrong sometimes and maybe I have it wrong now but I am not as sold on him as some seem to be.
I agree with this assessment as well, from my limited viewings (saw and recorded the prospect game, youtube vids) and when you also factor in his lack of size, I'd rather draft one of the many top forwards. If there was a legit elite defenseman, that would be different. While it would be GREAT to draft a #1 defenseman, you can't reach for one, if one is not there....the Kings are looking pretty good on depth at D. Sure, would be great to have an elite one, but you must draft BPA.
Bjornfot may well develop more offense. Also know that Jordan Spence (RHD, Moncton QMJHL) and Kim Nousiainen, (LHD Kalpa Liiga) are both 19 and both are having great seasons. Spence has been called the best defenseman in the QMJHL and was just named defenesman of the month in the Q...and Nousiainen had a good WJC with Finland and is getting top minutes as a 19 yr old in Liiga and putting up a lot of points, the last 2 months. These 2 players would go in round 2, if the draft was redone. The Kings had an insane draft and Yannetti and scouts put their mark on the next decade for the Kings, with this draft!
Turcotte, Bjornfot, Kaliyev, Fagemo, Parik, Spence, Nousianen. Unreal. Parik is having a great season in Spokane as well. All 7 of these, could possibly go before round 3, if the draft was redone.
Wheeler, excerpt on Spence:
Spence is already dominant at the junior level. Outside of a hard point shot, he has every offensive tool you look for in a modern defenceman. He’s an exit and entry machine with his feet, carving up the neutral zone and making opposing players miss with a series of fades and fakes. He’s mobile in all four directions, which helps him close gaps and pivot back on dumped pucks to win races without having to engage in man-on-man battles. He uses his stick as well as any player in junior hockey defensively, routinely breaking up plays with it. He can quarterback a power play thanks to excellent footwork, an ability to read the play and anticipate movement and a head-on-a-swivel approach to handling the puck.
Kind of like Matt Roy and Walker (to a degree) emerging and NOT the hopes of a higher drafted Forbort, Clague or Durzi emerging, a Spence or Nousianen may be the next Voynov / Visnovsky....but I think Clague still has a shot and Durzi may well someday too. The Kings will most certainly grab at least 1 (or even 2 D) in round 2, of the 3 second round picks this year as well.
