Seth Helgeson is your prototypical stay at home defender, the kind that you know is in the lineup but you don’t really notice until he beats the hell out of someone or levels some poor kid in open ice. Standing 6’4.5 and weighing in at 220, this current Sioux City Musketeer is currently ranked as 25th overall selection by ISS (see link in Afternoon Delight) and projects to be a shut down defender with a mean streak.
Having seen him play twice already this season, I can say that he combines a smart defensive style game with a healthy dose of being feared by opponents. Helgeson is not afraid to use his stick or his fists to prove a point, and is already featured in a couple dandies on HockeyFights.com. Offensively, he doesn’t offer much in the way of creativity, but he is a competent skater who makes a decent first pass and has a heavy shot. Likely not a guy who will put up points in the NHL, he nevertheless has the size to play their now. However, don’t count out his offensive potential, he certainly has some skills and was able to put up points in high school.
Committed to the University of Minnesota, Helgeson also has some international experience playing in the World Junior A Challenge last season. He will likely graduate from the Muskies and move on to the Gophers for 2009-10, so it should be interesting to watch his progress on the ice and the draft rankings. Don’t be surprised if he moves up that list due to his size and NHL style game. Big defensemen are still a hot commodity in the NHL.
