Filip Bystedt

U18: Team Sweden vs Team USA, May 1, 2022: The 6’4″ left shot center earned 17:49 TOI and was a key component to Sweden’s special teams game. On the 5v4 power play he was positioned along the right mid-wall, but while on the 5v3 Bystedt was positioned at the right point. From both positions he gave firm flat passes that were easy to handle. It was easy to see the plays Sweden was trying to set up for one-timers and we liked that Bystedt did not go rogue. He stayed withing the system and worked to set picks or accidental interference for the betterment of the team. One thing to note, he did have 2 shots blocked while on the 5v3, but on each instance Sweden was able to maintain possession and eventually scored. He went 10 for 21 on face-offs, but only won 2 of 6 in the defensive zone. We love the fact that his coaches relied on him for defensive zone draws down the stretch in the gold medal game, but no matter how you look at this he will need to improve in this area as he continues to develop.

U18: Team Sweden vs Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, August 7, 2021: The big centerman was a noticeable presence versus Team USA. He showed poise with the puck in all three zone and did a nice job of moving his feet after making a pass so he did not turn into a passenger. We liked his awareness during wall battles where he did not get trapped along the boards. He not only used his reach to his advantage as a puck carrier, but he also used his long frame to create space by pushing off of contact and then quickly moving into the open ice. He had 17:24 in total ice time and was a key contributor on both the special team’s units (3:04 power play) (1:39 penalty kill). Bystedt did not end up on the score sheet, but he he had four high quality shots from the slot.