Utah general manager Bill Armstrong often approaches events such as the NHL Draft wisely, understanding the impact it has, and acknowledging that there’s no doubt a surplus of pressure on himself and the rest of the scouting department led by Darryl Plandowski and Ryan Jankowski. However, pressure is a privilege, and if they aren’t feeling it, they aren’t doing their job correctly -especially in a pressure-filled world that is the NHL.
Related: Sam Dickinson – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Coming into the 2024 NHL Draft, Utah will have a myriad of possible prospects to take at number six, where they are drafting for the second year in a row. Finnish forward Konsta Helenius, who was taken out to dinner by Utah per Mark Scheig, will likely be available. Berkly Catton, a young, gifted center who hurls shades of Clayton Keller, will also likely be available. Though that shows interest in the player and person, Utah’s needs lie elsewhere heading to Las Vegas, and it’s the need for an elite defenseman, which the organization has lacked since Oliver Ekman-Larsson was with the team.
Fortunately, this year’s class houses a wealth of options, but arguably the best two-way game in the draft, and someone who exploded in the Ontario Hockey League this season is none other than Sam Dickinson. The 18-year-old has an infinite amount of likable traits and will unquestionably hear his name in the top 10 on June 28 in Vegas. Not only that, but he offers a complete package and someone Utah cannot pass up on, and here’s why.
The Need for a True Number One Defenseman
When looking at the top teams in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and New York Rangers, there’s a common trend: they have a true number one defenseman. Even the two teams remaining, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, have a clear-cut number-one defenseman who can be a game-changer at any point in the game. Surely, that is easier said than done, and it takes teams sometimes years to fill that void.
For Utah’s sake, they have a handful of defensemen on the roster, but none necessarily pop out. Since being drafted in 2021, J.J. Moser has been a surprise on the blue line and is certainly going to be a big piece moving forward, as well as Sean Durzi, who had a career-high 41 points this season. Speaking of Durzi and Moser, both are set to become restricted free agents (RFA) this summer, but in a recent interview, Armstrong is confident both will get resolved here soon.
Utah also has a collection of compelling prospects, including Artyom Duda, Dmitri Simashev, and Maveric Lamoureux. Although you can argue Simashev could be a top-pairing defenseman, it’s not for certain just quite yet as there are still plenty of unknowns. That’s where the 2024 NHL Draft is inserted, where you could argue there are multiple top-pairing defensemen, and one is none other than the kid from Toronto, Ontario, Sam Dickinson.
Dickinson’s Defensive Game Beyond Mature for Age
It becomes vastly clear when watching Dickinson’s game that he’s proficient in every area on the ice, whether that be on the offensive side or when it comes to his own end defending. Defensively, Dickinson looks like a veteran, someone who is much older than he is, and it’s a testament to the maturity of his entire game, but primarily his defensive game. Another aspect that helps the London Knight is his height, which is 6-foot-2 and allows him to use his body quickly. It seems to be a common trend with young prospects at this age who have yet to grow into their frame, but with Dickinson, that’s not the case.
“Dickinson routinely kills plays, especially in transition. Players have a difficult time gaining the zone against him as he’s got the feet to stay with almost anyone, combined with the ideal length, reach, and stick work to knock pucks away. He’s tough and physical in his own end and ties up players in front of his net.” – Jordan Harris, Dobber Prospects
Another dimension in his game is his ability to prevent plays from happening, which is a nod to his hockey IQ and sense, which are through the roof. Furthermore, his skating is world-class and arguably the best not only for defensemen but also for forwards. Being an elite skater has helped him tremendously and would make the transition to the NHL seamless, as he already has NHL-like traits.
Offensive Upside Is Evident and Could Be a Game Changer
During Dickinson’s rookie season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he was immediately given a prominent role on a very good Knights team. However, that didn’t necessarily translate to the scoresheet, where he notched just 23 points in 62 games. Regardless, it was already an impressive feat for a 16-year-old to play the minutes and situations he was in.
Now entering the 2023-24 season with the Knights, scouts and analysts expected a big season from Dickinson, and boy, did he deliver. This season, he exploded offensively, recording 18 goals and 70 points in 68 games and was by far the best defenseman on the team. He was able to use his skating to his advantage, as mentioned earlier, and another sneaky ability of his has to be his passing. There’s a reason he was able to put up 50-plus assists, and he doesn’t get nearly enough credit for that.
“Where Dickinson excels for me is in his ability to start the breakout. I love his poise in the face of the forecheck. He trusts his feet and he has great scanning habits. He’s just really tough to pin in. The size, mobility, and reach combination will make him a high end defensive player at the NHL level too.” – Brock Otten, OHL Prospects/McKeen’s
Dickinson not only has all the tools on the defensive side of things, but he’s also extremely offensively gifted, and he has shown that, and then some this season.
Will Dickinson Be Available at Six?
Now the question begs, will Dickinson be available at six when Utah gets on the stage? The answer you’ll get from most is yes, he will, but teams like the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets rival the possibility of that happening. For now, though, assuming Macklin Celebrini and Artyom Levshunov go one and two, as many at the NHL Scouting Combine have speculated since the Blackhawks took him to dinner, while that might not mean much, it’s still there. Then the Ducks could go and take a swing on Russian defenseman Anton Silayev, with his intriguing attributes standing at nearly 6-foot-6.
The Blue Jackets could make things really interesting at the number four spot, where they could take center Cayden Lindstrom, who has been selected there in numerous mock drafts. Or they could take winger Beckett Sennecke, who was taken to dinner by Columbus and has sneakily climbed up the rankings recently. That then leaves the Montreal Canadians at five, where they drafted last season, taking defenseman David Reinbacher. So if Demidov is available at five, it may be a situation where they can’t pass up a prospect of that level.
That would then make Dickinson available at six, and it would leave Armstrong at a crossroads with several other defensemen available, such as Zeev Buium and Zayne Parekh. That being said, Dickinson is a prospect you can’t pass up on, and if he falls to six, he should be taken by Armstrong and Utah.
Dickinson: A Prospect You Can’t Pass On
Last year in Nashville, we saw Armstrong and company pass up on Matvei Michkov, who is an unbelievable prospect, but there have been complications with his contract in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), among other issues. Luckily, this season, they don’t have to deal with a player like that unless Demidov falls to six, which is a whole different conversation to be had, but if Dickinson is available at six, you take him. He has the size, physicality, and style of play that will translate to the NHL much better than the rest of the defensemen, and he is a game-changer. June 28 couldn’t come sooner, and Dickinson should be the top choice for Utah.
