“My defensive game has gotten a lot stronger over the last couple of years,” the Edmond, Oklahoma native said. “I’m a defenseman, but more specifically and offensive defenseman.”
Donovan continued, “I like to contribute offensively and my defensive skills weren’t always there or I wasn’t playing well defensively, but I think the past couple years, specifically this past year, I’ve developed a lot better defensively.”
The 20-year-old said he owes a lot of that improvement to his coaches at Denver.
“It was unbelievable,” Donovan said. “The coaches are awesome, all the guys are awesome. I had a great two years there. I think the coaches and the staff all helped me develop a lot and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Now that his collegiate career is over, defenseman has started to look towards his future. He knows his transition to the Arena at Harbor Yard will be seamless, especially since he’s friends with Rhett Rakhshani, who has been selected to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team, and Aaron Ness, who signed his entry-level contract with the Islanders franchise last week.
While Donovan’s excited to get started, he knows this is just the beginning for him.
“Hopefully I’m playing in the NHL soon,” Donovan said. “That’s my main goal. That’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing and hopefully that’s where I’m headed.”
