Daniil Karpovich split last season between the MHL, VHL, and KHL, and while the numbers were light, the development curve is tracking in the right direction. He recorded four points in 19 VHL games with Gornyak-UGMK, playing a low-event, steady defensive. His brief KHL stint with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg featured no points over four games, but getting that look at age 20 is a positive sign for his trajectory. Karpovich does not project as a puck-moving threat or power-play option, but his size, discipline, and defensive awareness give him a shot at filling a bottom-four role down the line. There is still a long way to go, and no fantasy relevance for the foreseeable future, but for an organization looking to build depth on the back end, Karpovich is may eventually become a piece worth watching.

Karpovich has flown under the radar in terms of the Devils’ defense prospects, but there could be a legitimate NHLer here. He is sizeable, and he uses it to effectively shut down opposing offenses by proxy of his physicality and long reach. His active stick works well to dispossess attacking forwards, and he has shown occasional flashes of sending out a strong breakout pass to transitioning forwards once he does gain possession of the puck. He has solid mobility and speed for his size and has a strong shot from the point. It’s hard to gauge whether or not he will come over to North America, but if he does, he has the tools to be a bottom-four, two-way defender.