Let’s address the elephant in the room right away: SHL defender Erik Brannstrom is undersized. He’s listed at 5’10 by Elite Prospects, and there is always more risk involved when drafting a defenceman with size concerns. If you want to take the safe route with the Leafs first round selection, your targeted defencemen at this year’s draft are likely Nicolas Hague or Cal Foote.
Both Hague and Foote carry defensive upside due to their size, but neither player is setting the world on fire in the points department. Foote plays for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, and with just 6 goals in 71 games, he’s not much of a scoring threat.