When the New York Islanders drafted Jesse Pulkkinen with the 54th overall pick of the 2024 draft, many were intrigued about what he could become. He is a big body defenseman, with a 6'6" frame and weighing in at 220 pounds. He has used this size to his advantage, delivering big hits and being an aggressive forechecker. He is also very mobile for his size, which he uses to get involved in the offense. He put this on display during his time in Finland.
The Leafs, along with several other teams, have been linked to the defenseman. With how well the Maple Leafs have played, they have put themselves back in a position to be buyers. They have won eight of their last 11 games and are one point back of the Bruins for the final wild card spot in the East. Hamilton is a player who will not just help the Leafs this year but for the foreseeable future.
Peeke was taken in the second round (34th overall) in 2016 by the Blue Jackets. After a three-year collegiate career at Notre Dame and some time in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, Peeke became a regular in the Jackets' lineup, playing 82 and 80 games in 2021-22 and 2022-23. But after falling out of favor in Columbus, he was traded to the B's for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick at the 2024 trade deadline.
Shakir Mukhamadullin is a big, smooth-skating defenseman who has quickly become one of the more intriguing pieces in the San Jose Sharks' rebuild. Originally drafted 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2020, he made his way to San Jose as part of the Timo Meier trade in 2023. Since then, he's been one of the Sharks' top defensive prospects and started getting NHL games under his belt.
When the New York Islanders signed Travis Mitchell as an undrafted NCAA free agent in March 2023, they brought in a defenseman who had quietly developed into a reliable two-way contributor at Cornell Universit y. Over four seasons with the Big Red, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound blueliner appeared in 95 games, registering 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points. He capped off his college career by helping Cornell capture the ECAC regular-season title in 2019-20, setting the stage for his jump to the professional ranks.
