Redrafting the top 10 from the 2015 NHL Draft
120. . Defenseman. San Jose Sharks. Ivan Provorov. 9. player
One of four Russians selected in the first round, Ivan Provorov is the only one to have found NHL success so far. Provorov finished last season 11th in the league in blocked shots with 169 and 59th in hits with 148. The bruising blueliner was also second in the league among defensemen with 17 goals and added another 24 assists.
Provorov averaged a monstrous 24.1 minutes per game last season and started nearly 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone. A threat on either end of the ice, Provorov has taken on the task of being a shutdown, number one defenseman quite easily. Not many players are able to enter the league and be such a threat on the blue line straight away.