Defensemen usually have a bit more development until we see them in full time roles in the NHL. This allows them to tune their game before playing at the highest level and it turns out well the majority of the time. Youth is taking over the league and there are a handful of second-year defensemen that are ready to break out and have a much better season. As defensemen are harder to come by than forwards in fantasy hockey, these five sophomores should help.
Fantasy Hockey Sophomore Breakouts
Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks drafted Pavel Mintyukov 10th overall in 2022 and he stepped into the NHL as a 19-year-old and held his own. Missing 19 games threw off his season, but he showed great stuff early on, scoring four goals and 28 points while playing nearly 19 minutes per game. He played on both the power play and penalty kill and in his second season there will be more trust. Along with likely raising his point totals this season, Mintyukov is going to continue to block a shot per game and deliver a lot of hits.
Kevin Korchinski, Chicago Blackhawks
Kevin Korchinski wasn’t put in a great spot last season on a bad Chicago Blackhawks team. It was jump straight to the NHL or go back to junior for another season. It was the right choice for the 19-year-old to start in the NHL, but there was just no help behind him to give him some relief. The Blackhawks added some key veterans to the back-end and Korchinski is going to play with someone more experienced and in a consistent role all season. He shows spurts of good offensive ability and is expected to get top-4 minutes. He will block shots and get a little more action on the second power-play unit.
Mason Lohrei, Boston Bruins
Mason Lohrei came into the Boston Bruins’ lineup and was a pleasant surprise. That will earn him a spot on the team this season. He only played 41 games last season, but showed his offensive capabilities, scoring four goals and 13 points. On top of that, he will play more than 17 minutes a game this season and not only hits, but blocks a ton of shots. He will get power-play 2 time this season to add a little value where needed. Lohrei is a sneaky depth defenseman who hits multiple categories if that’s what you’re looking for.
Ty Emberson, Edmonton Oilers
Ty Emberson’s season in San Jose flew right under the radar because of how bad the team was. While the team struggled, the rookie, only playing 30 games, did well. He’s not expected to put up a ton of points but he did record 27 points in 69 games in the AHL in 2022-23. He will compete for and likely win the second-line RD spot beside Darnell Nurse in Edmonton. Now that Emberson has gone from the worst team to one of the best, his offense should be positively impacted by that. His ice time will increase and he already blocks over a shot-per-game and makes three hits-per-game on average.
David Jiricek, Columbus Blue Jackets
The defensive group was one thing the Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t have to worry about last season. The team had more than enough, so much so that David Jiricek didn’t get the playing time he needed. He got into 43 games, scoring one goal and 10 points, but only got 14:36 of ice time per game. Now that the back end has cleared up, he should be on the second pairing and get many more opportunities in all situations. His offensive talent is there as he scored seven goals and 19 points in 29 AHL games last season. He will also hit, block shots, and provide some penalty minutes if that’s needed.
Related: Second-Year Fantasy Hockey Breakouts: Forwards
These five young defensemen have much better opportunities this season and some are going to be hits in fantasy hockey. Be sure to have your eyes on them later in your draft as players like these can be difference makers.