Alberts Šmits, LHD, Munich (DEL)
Šmits might be the most pro-ready of the defensemen in this class. He played for Latvia at the Olympics and the World Championship this year after playing 38 games in Finland’s top pro league, where he had 13 points. Both Pronman and Wheeler project him as a top-pair defenseman capable of playing a strong two-way game due to his skating, length and puck handling. He also has a huge shot. Both Pronman and Wheeler reference his competitiveness, a trait that always appeals to the Sabres’ brass.
Viggo Björck, C, Djurgården (SHL)
Size is the big question mark with Björck, who’s 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. But he plays bigger than that in part because he clearly has hockey strength. The Sabres haven’t shied away from shorter players in recent drafts when the competitiveness is there. That’s not a problem with Björck, who has a non-stop motor. Hockey sense is another trait the Sabres always covet, and he has plenty of that. Those two things make Björck a name to watch at 4. Björck is a game-breaking playmaker who had nine points in seven games at World Juniors and then had an impressive showing for Sweden at the World Championship.
Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)
Carels doesn’t have the offensive upside of some other defensemen in this class, but his compete and physicality got high grades from Pronman and Wheeler. Wheeler noted that, “NHL scouts are high on him as a future stud D who plays winning hockey, even if he has a little less NHL offense than the names ahead of him here.” He also had 73 points in 58 WHL games this season, so he’s not a stiff offensively. He skates well and has a heavy shot.
Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)
Because he played college hockey this season, Verhoeff didn’t put up the eye-popping stats that others in this class did. Wheeler doesn’t view him as the same level of skater as the top defensemen in this class, but he moves well for his size. He’s prone to mistakes at times, but he ran a power play at North Dakota, has a big shot and is a heavy hitter. Pronman has him as the No. 3 player in the entire class. Wheeler wrote, “Teams are obviously attracted to the combination of size, body, work ethic, leadership, poise, shot and decent skill. He has upside, and if his boots can improve and decision-making on both sides of the puck can be polished, there could be real upside.”
