Half of the top dozen prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft are blueliners (and they all have their strengths)

[Ranked 10th] Buium enters the Frozen Four with the opportunity to become just the second U-19 defenseman to break the 50-point barrier in NCAA history. That alone is exciting. Buium is a great skater who loves the puck on his stick, and he never seems to get frazzled, no matter the situation. In the NHL, look for Buium to become a high-output puck distributor who can score, hit, block shots and play on both special team units.

[Ranked 4th] In a similar vein, I love Dickinson’s game here. A minute-muncher with the Knights, Dickinson can do a bit of everything. He’s calm with the puck, makes smart, quick decisions, and plays so well in transition. He’s 6-foot-3, moves really well and had one of the most productive seasons of any CHL defenseman. There are times he’ll get caught trying to do too much with the puck, but his versatility will make him an attractive option this year.

[Ranked 3rd] Levshunov’s play down the stretch made me love him as the No. 1 ‘D’ again. He’s just got everything scouts want in a high-end defender – size, mobility and puck-moving skills, just to name a few quality traits. He led the Spartans in scoring after putting up one of the most impressive Draft+1 seasons by a defenseman in recent USHL history. I think the ceiling for Levshunov to become a team’s No. 1 defenseman is very, very high at this point because there aren’t many notable deficiencies in his game.

[Ranked 8th] If any defender in this draft can hit the 70-point marker in the NHL, it’s Parekh. He finished the OHL regular season with 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games to lead all U-18 OHLers. It was the third most productive U-18 season ever by an OHL defender, and he’s one of just two that age to crack 80 points in the 21st Century – the other being Ryan Ellis, who delivered an 89-point season in 2008-09. For reference, Carter Yakemchuk and Sam Dickinson were the only other first-year draft defensemen to break 70 points this year. Parekh was far and away the best offensive defenseman in junior hockey this year, so it’ll be exciting to see just how high he goes. The Memorial Cup will be a big opportunity for Parekh to push himself into the top five.

[Ranked 5th] Silayev dropped two spots here, largely due to just being more interested in the long-term potential in Levshunov and Dickinson. I truly believe Silayev is the best actual defender of the three, but the other two just offer more that gets me – and many scouts – excited. The 6-foot-7 blueliner averaged just under 20 minutes a night while blocking shots, landing hits and showing off great skating for his size. There aren’t a whole lot of big defenders that can skate as well as Silayev does and the upside can’t be ignored.

[Ranked 13th] With 30 goals, 71 points and 120 penalty minutes in 66 games, it was hard not to notice Yakemchuk this year. That’s the type of stat line you’d expect from a power forward – instead, it’s a third-year defenseman that exceeded all expectations this year. Defensively, though, I still need to see more improvement. His decision-making under pressure leaves a bit to be desired, but the potential is high here. With some seasoning, Yakemchuk could be a high-output defender in the NHL.