[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (American Edition, Vol. 20):

LD Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen (6'0",181lbs)
University of Michigan (NCAA): 21gp/ 1g/ 4a/ 5pts, -7, 2 PIM

It seems like DRM has been around forever. The young Wolverines' rearguard is the son of Manon Rheaume (remember her?), and the nephew of former NHLer Pascal Rheaume, and is in the midst of a rather lukewarm freshman year. The transition to the NCAA from the NTDP last year has been rather smooth, but he's not getting the ice-time or responsibility yet to post big numbers, because of his age (he's 18. with a December 18th, 2006 birthday), and the fact that he's playing behind some older defensemen. Central Scouting awarded him a "C" in their preliminary rankings, deeming him a potential 4th, or 5th-round pick, based largely on his 2023-24 season in the NTDP, where he registered zero goals and 18 assists in 61 games, along with 2 assists in 7 contests in the 2024 U-18's. Those numbers aren't going to wow anyone, but Rheaume-Mullen is more of a defensive specialist anyway, with plenty of intelligence and a detailed, engaged approach to his duties. He makes good use of a well-timed, active stick and exemplary positioning to kill rushes by closing gaps quickly and angling his opponents to the boards, and out of danger. His adversaries are quickly smothered of time and space.

DRM is undersized for a defenseman, but he's a fantastic skater- perhaps a step below elite. His edges are remarkably smooth, enabling him to pivot on a dime, and his lateral quickness makes him very difficult to get around. He can impose a fairly hard-nosed physical game, but he's a bit inconsistent in this area, and I think he might be taking a more nuanced approach right now, while he adapts better to playing against men. He will battle along the boards and in the corners for loose pucks, and he can go through his opponents if he has to. His retrievals get good grades, as he routinely stays calm and composed while scanning his options, and makes sound decisions in regard to his breakout passes. With his speed and polished handling, he proves his worth in transition, moving pucks up the ice quickly, through controlled exits and entries. He will join the rush, and often leads it, but usually stays close to the blueline to quarterback the play with one eye on the offense, and the other on the backcheck. DRM has a rather hard and heavy shot, but his numbers suggest that he's not a goal-scoring threat- he gets his shot through consistently, but with the purpose of making second-chance plays and causing havoc in the crease. At the end of the day, his involvement in his team's offense is up-and-down, but he's considered to be a smart player with high IQ and good hockey sense- I think he's trying to play a mistake-free game right now as a youngster in his first year of NCAA action. Still, I don't think he'll put up big numbers in the pros, and will instead be relied upon for quality puck-movement and good defense.

Many have DRM as high as the second round, including myself, but if I'm being honest- he's always seemed overrated, and quite vanilla to me. I don't think he'll ever be more than a bottom-pairing D in the NHL, not that there's anything wrong with that. I put him in the late-second in my latest Draft Rankings, based on the fact that scouts seem to think he still has high potential, but I'm starting to second-guess myself. My belief right now is that he could be picked in the 3rd, or 4th-round of this summer's draft, but I'm going with the scouts on this one.