With the Montreal Canadiens winning the NHL Entry Draft Lottery Tuesday, now is a good time to revisit some area defensemen who could be selected in early July.
The NHL's Central Scouting Service released their final rankings last week, with New England well represented on the list. The draft will be in Montreal, with the host city and Bell Centre atmosphere sure to be electric, as the league has its first live draft since 2019.
Having previously looked at several New England forwards who could be intriguing draft options, we’ll focus the attention on the blue line. This is not a comprehensive list of all available area defenders, but a sampling of prospects who are worth getting to know and track as the big event gets closer.
Three established names
Michael Fisher
St. Mark’s/EC Wizards, 5/2/04, right shot, 6-3/180
NCAA commit: Northeastern
From Westboro, Mass., the former Princeton recruit erupted offensively with the Lions in prep this season after a strong fall season with the Wizards.
Previously a tall and mobile defender who took care of his own end first, Fisher became much more assertive with the puck, and it paid off to the tune of almost two points per game.
“He’s got the NHL package of size and skating,” said a Western Conference NHL scout. “He’s a big, long kid. Exceptional skater. He’ll get drafted high with a lot of those things. At his size, he’s one of the best skaters, and he plays hard. I worry about how well he sees it and passes it; I see a player who sometimes misses passing options. I’ve seen him just skate it, away from guys, and make plays at this level, but you can’t get away with that in the NHL.”
Originally committed to play in the ECAC for the Tigers, the breakout campaign opened the door for him to switch to the Hockey East and Huskies. He’ll first play a season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms, but his impressive package should translate to the NCAA when he’s ready to make the jump.
“I see him as a guy who has all the physical tools to defend anybody in the NHL,” the scout said. “He’s got the skating to defend speed on the rush, size to defend down low against bigger guys, so for me, does he have the aptitude to learn how to be a good defender and will he add the physicality and grit- he plays hard- to get the most of those tools?”
Although he played at a lower level than the junior players on this list, Fisher is projected to go earlier in the draft because of the production and upside.
Forecast: Third round
Video: Why Fisher is our eighth-ranked NEHJ draft prospect
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9394616/video/692380189
Ryan Healey
Sioux Falls, 5/19/04, right shot, 6-0/178
NCAA commit: Harvard
Outstanding skater from Hull, Mass., who played on a non-playoff team in the USHL after leaving the Boston Advantage. Exhibits positive traits for pro hockey with his quick feet and ability to get up the ice quickly to support the play. As he learned to pick his spots to jump up into the play a little better, his performance and defensive play improved as he got more comfortable this season.
“The first thing you notice is the wheels,” said an Eastern Conference NHL scout. “He’s got that fast twitch, burst to speed in a few strides kind of ability going for him. He’s also confident and poised with the puck. There are some real assets. And on some nights, he was really impressive.”
As mobile and skilled as the future Crimson defender is, there are some things he’ll need to address before he heads to the NCAA.
“The puck management is the biggest thing,” the scout said. “He’s risk-reward and when he pushes the envelope and it goes south, it can be catastrophic."
Healey finished his first USHL campaign (he played seven games with the Stampede in 2020-21) with three goals and 21 points, but was a -25, a reflection of his team’s struggles to keep the goals against down.
Forecast: Fourth round
Video: Why Healey is our fourth-ranked NEHJ draft prospect
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9394616/video/692378327
Jackson Dorrington
Des Moines, 4/13/04, left shot, 6-2/195
NCAA commit: Northeastern
What you see is what you get from the North Reading, Mass., native. The former Cushing Academy star is a big, rangy skater who, like Healey, toiled on one of the USHL Western Conference’s two non-playoff clubs.
Has room to improve his skating stride and mechanics, but got stronger on his feet as he settled in with the Buccaneers and had a stronger second half. He employs a smart stick and plays a steady defensive game, sometimes to a fault, as he tended to play things a little too safe at times.
“I like his defensive play,” another Western Conference scout said recently. “Holds his gap well, knows when to use his stick or play the body, seemed to adapt to that smaller (Buccaneer Arena) ice surface and got more physical as the year went on. I’m not seeing much of a puck game or offensive dimension, but he’s someone who can play a lot of minutes and kill penalties at this level and the next.”
Injuries limited him to just 41 games out of 61, with three goals and 11 points, but the stats don’t tell the entire story here.
“I thought he was stiff and looked out of sorts in Pittsburgh,” the Western scout added, taking note of the league’s first two regular season games at the annual USHL Fall Classic event. “He played better and could be a decent project type of guy.”
Forecast: Fifth round
Video: Why Dorrington is NEHJ's third-ranked draft prospect
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9394616/video/692375090
Sleepers worth a look
Matt Biotti
Belmont Hill/EC Wizards, 8/27/04, right shot, 6-4/181
NCAA commit: Harvard
Biotti’s tools are pro caliber and make him an intriguing option for the later rounds.
From Cambridge, Mass., he had a tendency to be loose in his coverage during fall play and took more risks in the less-structured setting with the Wizards. He showed a much more poised and disciplined playing style under coach Brian Phinney in helping the Sextants reach the championship game. Tall, rangy and possessing good puck skills, he can make the hard but accurate pass, or fire pucks on net from the point. His hockey sense and ability to read and react faster will need to improve as he rises in levels, but there were games where Biotti had the look and feel of a future pro.
“I didn’t care for him as much in the fall because it seemed like he was always up the ice,” said another longtime area scout from New England. “Liked him a lot more in prep at Belmont because he was making better decisions and controlling the play from the back end more. He’s got the size and feet to play hockey for a long time. If the rest of it catches up to him, he’s an intriguing project.”
Chris Romaine
Milton Academy/South Shore Kings Prep, 2/21/04, right shot, 6-0/181
NCAA commit: Providence
Though the Braintree, Mass., native is a longer draft shot, there’s still a good amount to like here.
The former Milton Mustang is a high-end skater with a lot of jump in his stride and the ability to accelerate quickly. An asset on breakouts, he gets back to pucks quickly in his own end and can turn on a dime, reversing the play to kick start the transition game. He hit a growth spurt over the past year, and seems to be on an upward trajectory.
“He such a good skater, it opens up a lot of options for him,” the Eastern Conference scout said. “There are times when he does things he can get away with at this level and not the next, but I’d rather a kid be more aggressive and take chances as opposed to playing it safe.”
Chosen by the Omaha Lancers in the second round of the recent USHL Phase II Draft, watch for the future Friar to get the opportunity to play a lot of minutes in all situations there. He might need some time to adjust to the demands of Tier 1 junior hockey, but there is enough here to warrant NHL draft consideration.
Video: Why Romaine is NEHJ's 11th-ranked draft prospect
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9394616/video/692380963
