Keaton Verhoeff

ANALYSIS
Verhoeff is a physical, top-four defender who consistently earns Aaron Ekblad comps because of his strength, size and booming shot. And they're both righties. Verhoeff has top pairing written all over him because of his compete, but there are some holes in his game that could drive him into a top-four role. Those could be because of his youth -- he played the entire season as a 17-year-old on a very strong NCAA team. Verhoeff looked his age at times, sometimes struggling with reads and decision making. And those hesitations made his feet look a half-step slow. Skating can be improved; hockey sense is harder. Fantasy-wise, he'll be a PP2 guy in San Jose and deliver in multi-category formats. And he and Sam Dickinson could soon be one of the most intimidating pairings in the NHL.