Film Room: How activation, playmaking could make Denton Mateychuk the draft's best defenceman

Many of the NHL's best teams are defined by activation, bringing their defencemen into the play with every possible opportunity.

For most defencemen, activation makes them facilitators. They activate to extend offensive zone time; activate to increase the ease of exits and entries; activate to minimize the risk of turnovers from a lack of options.

For the stars, like Cale Makar, Adam Fox, or Roman Josi, activation makes them creators; it maximizes their quantity of puck touches and their space upon receiving the puck, amplifying their skill and tools advantages.

In the 2022 NHL Draft, no player activates like Denton Mateychuk. He facilitates. He creates. He joins the play with every possible opportunity, whether on the breakout or inside the offensive zone, at the beginning of his shift or as it winds down. He doesn't just join the play; he demands the puck through proactive positioning.

Nowadays, most top prospects activate regularly. It’s become an essential part of playing the position, after all. So, what separates Mateychuk from the sea of like defencemen? {