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Fantasy Summary

Big, reliable d-man with confidence at both ends of the ice. Top-4 potential


Observations

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March 2022 – Helleson has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the Josh Manson deal. Helleson is actually a potential Manson clone, so it fits. – Dobber

January 2022 – After a breakout 2020-21 season, Helleson has kept the momentum going with 14 points in 17 NCAA contests and earning himself a spot with Team USA at the Olympics. He remains an under-the-radar prospect but that won’t last forever if gets into the regular blueline rotation in China. Hayden Soboleski

April 2021 – Helleson was named to the Division I All-American 2nd Team, the Hockey East First All Star Team, and named Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman. Hayden Soboleski

March 2021 – Helleson was not expected to hit as many highlight reels as he did in 2020-21 and fantasy owners should be thrilled. The traditionally reserved Helleson came into his sophomore year with more confidence carrying the puck and as a result he led Boston College’s defense with 15 points in 22 games while also putting up over 2 SOG per game (after < 1/game as a rookie) and a plus-24 rating (ranking third in the entire NCAA). The modern NHL requires even the match-up/shutdown d-men to be able to move the puck with confidence and be dangerous in the other team’s end and Helleson is demonstrating the skills much more than he did as a rookie. His stock is on the rise, let’s see if he can maintain these numbers while playing even bigger minutes next year as a junior. Hayden Soboleski

January 2021 – Helleson has won gold with Team USA at the 2021 WJC. His 4 points (including an assist on the final game-winner) were good to see, but his value was shown most when he was used on the penalty kill and consistently in the final minutes of Team USA’s games. He was trusted up until the final minutes, defending the lead when it mattered most. Despite having fewer offensive tools than his peers on the squad, his defensive prowess still stood out which is a strong sign for the prospect. Hayden Soboleski

December 2020 – He’s only 2 games into his sophomore season at Boston College, but Helleson’s 5 SOG and powerplay goal are not stats we may have expected after a quiet, defense-first rookie campaign. He probably won’t remain a point-per-game player as the season rolls on, but having the confidence to shoot more and being a trusted as a more all-situations blueliner would be excellent progressions if this continues all year long. The 19-year-old has been included on Team USA’s roster for the upcoming WJCs – this would be his first international U20 appearance if he makes the cut. Hayden Soboleski

 

May 2020 – Helleson’s freshman year at Boston College was quiet. He wasn’t high on the depth chart of the defense corps, but he did just fine in the time he got as a defense-first rearguard. He isn’t a significant scorer, shooter, blocker, or penalty-taker, which is all fine when waiting on a minute-munching shutdown player but not great news for fantasy owners. Hold off drafting for the time being, and see if he evolves into a more well-rounded producer as his role increases in Boston. Expect at least two more years of NCAA play before turning pro. Hayden Soboleski

 

June 2019 – The Colorado Avalanche selected Helleson with the 47th-overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. This was roughly his projected draft location.

 

Paired with fellow second-rounder Alex Vlasic, Helleson helped form a towering shutdown unit. His size is an obvious advantage, especially at his age, but he is mobile enough to be versatile. He hasn’t demonstrated enough offense to be considered a good fantasy bet yet outside of multi-category leagues, but by no means is his future set in stone already. Lots of room to develop and potentially carve out a less traditional big-rearguard role while at Boston College this fall. Hayden Soboleski

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 5.5
NHL Certainty 7.5
Country USA
Position D
Roster Type Junior
Shoot/Glove Right
Date of Birth March 26, 2001
Height 6‘3”
Weight 194 lbs
Drafted 2019 Round 2; Overall: 47

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2013-2014 Los Angeles Jr. Kings QC Int PW4 1 12 8|        
 2014-2015 Los Angeles Jr. Kings 13U AAAT1EHL 13U1 0 00 0|        
 2015-2016 Shattuck St. Mary's 14U AAA14U AAA46 6 2834 14|        
  MN Kings 15U AAAMNBEL 14U6 0 22 -|        
 2016-2017 Shattuck St. Mary's 16U AAA16U AAA52 6 3137 30|        
  Team Royal USA-S153 0 00 -|        
 2017-2018 USNTDP JuniorsUSHL34 2 1618 14|Playoffs8 2 57
  U.S. National U17 TeamNTDP61 5 3540 28|        
  USA U17WHC-176 1 01 4|        
 2018-2019 USNTDP JuniorsUSHL28 4 711 18|        
  U.S. National U18 TeamNTDP64 5 1823 28|        
  USA U18WJC-187 0 33 0|        
 2019-2020 Boston CollegeNCAA28 1 56 12|        
 2020-2021 Boston CollegeNCAA22 4 1115 8|        
  USA U20WJC-207 2 24 2|        
 2021-2022 Boston CollegeNCAA32 4 2125 30|        
  San Diego GullsAHL17 0 22 4|Playoffs2 0 22
  USAOG3 0 11 0|        
 2022-2023 Anaheim DucksNHL3 1 01 2|        
  San Diego GullsAHL65 5 1318 59|        
 2023-2024 San Diego GullsAHL47 2 810 36|        

Highlights