The Sweden 10
This year looks to be a strong crop for Swedish players and we breakdown the top 2021 NHL Draft Prospects in the SHL; the Swedish pro league.
William Eklund #72 (F, L, 5’10”, 172, 10/12/2002) – The Late ‘02 out of Djurgardens is considered by many as the top Sweedish prospect in the draft which is saying a lot with this talented crop of Swedes this year. Eklund has the resume to back it up despite missing the U20 Worlds because of COVID, he had an exceptional rookie season in the SHL with 23 points in 40 games despite being one of the youngest players in the league.
Breakdown/Analysis: Eklund is a 5’10” winger which isn’t typically a top 5 pick; however he has a high hockey IQ and a versatile skill set that will allow him to play in a variety of situations. His best attribute is his hockey IQ and awareness as he can read the whole sheet, process his options at top seed and move to the right area both with and without the puck. He has a controlled, disciplined approach, he takes good pursuit angles on the forecheck in the offensive and neutral zone and he’s smart positionally in his defensive end. He has high end vision and can set up his teammates all over the offensive zone with a combination of puck skill (delivery) and instincts (vision/sense) to see the seam and the creativity to make the play. However, he’s not a one-dimensional playmaker; he can finish. Eklund’s head is always up, he has poise about his game particularly in the offensive zone and will read the goalie, find the empty spot and has a quick, accurate release to score. He’s not a speedster like one would expect given his size and offensive production but he has impressive balance and agility which allows him to get off checks, win pucks and get to the net. Because of his lack of burst, he has developed a cerebral dimension to his game and he does subtle, but high IQ plays in all three zones. An example in his defensive zone is the breakout; he makes split second decisions on the wing when pressured and is one of the only wingers in this draft class who all 4 passing options at the wing; he will fire a pass back to either defenseman, he’ll hit the far side winger or the swinging center or he can chip it out or accelerate off the wall and carry it out or curl back and regroup. He has all the tools at his disposal. An example of his IQ in the offensive zone is that he finds open ice and values the puck enough to skate to space instead of being a net crasher who plays in straight lines. Eklund is creative, he is poised and controlled with the puck and can access his full set of skills at top speed.
Risk/Value: Eklund brings with him a high value because he has proven production at the pro level. He played on a line with 2020 NHL Draft pick Lucas Raymond (#7 Overall) and had more points and more ice time. From a risk perspective he does carry some risk in that he’s undersized, he doesn’t have separational speed at the pro level and he wasn’t used on the penalty kill this year which means he’s suited for a top six role and may not be the best option as a bottom six. Wingers don’t carry the same value as centers in the NHL but given his hockey IQ, his playmaking and finishing combination and quickness and balance he carries a higher value than a risk. WIth that being said, one knock on Eklund that doesn’t seem to get talked about much is his 1v1 play in small areas; he doesn’t come out of a lot of scrums with possession and isn’t great along the wall on 50/50 pucks which are two key components of playing wing in the NHL. He isn’t soft but he’s not necessarily tough either.
Projection: Top 10 NHL Pick / A
Isak Rosen #24 (F, L, 5’10”, 155, Team Sweden, 03/15/2003) – Rosen made his way onto the Leksands rosters this year in the SHL playing 22 games and getting an assist as the team’s youngest player; but had just 1 assist in 22 games. The speedy winger is listed at 161lbs so given his age and build; it’s impressive he played in the league at all but his real coming out party was at the U18 Worlds where he led Sweden in goals and points and proved to be one of the premier forwards in the tournament against his age group.
Breakdown/Analysis: Rosen is an interesting prospect in that he goes from 1 point in 22 games in the SHL to leading team Sweden in points at the U18 Worlds; which was the silver medalist in the tournament. His best attribute is his skating ability; he was one of the fastest skaters in the tournament and has both the acceleration and straight line speed to separate at the pro level. He was used in every situation at the U18 Worlds; top line even strength, power play and penalty kill and earned his coaches trust in the key moments of the game. What earns him a first round grade is his puck control at top speed and ability to catch hard passes, carry the puck and make plays with pace. Rosen has the vision to read the play and find the seams and the puck skill and touch on his passes to deliver it on the tape. He plays a possession style game and understands how his own movement will impact the defensive positioning and how that will open up lanes for his teammates so he’s calculated in his approach and not random. He scored some brilliant one-time goals at the U18 Worlds and showed a quick release and deceptive power for his size which will only improve as he fills into his frame. Given his speed and his energy he’s effective on the forecheck and gets his stick in lanes to cause turnovers and be a pest to opposing defenders. On the penalty kill he was able to get to loose pucks and get on his man quickly to disrupt clean zone entries and easy puck movements. If you take a step back and look at their road in the U18 World they were blown out in the semi finals by Canada and blew out Finland in the Consolation so the quarterfinal game against the US was really their most telling film and their biggest test and that was his best performance of the tournament so he rises to the challenge.
Risk/Value: Rosen brings more risk than many potential first round talents because he hasn’t had success at the Sweedish pro level, he’s light at 161lbs and the European game is more suitable to his current skill set than the North American game. He is better in open ice, off the rush and on the power play in space than he is in traffic, tight areas and along the boards. He loses puck battles, he skates past pucks and lacks the discipline at times to stop and get back to support his defenders. Most of his risk is in his ability to play bigger, stronger players and win pucks and get to the scoring areas as he tends to be perimeter and likes to float in and out of the soft areas in the offensive zone away from the puck. How does he translate at the North American pro level? Might not be a smooth transition but with that being said his upside is very high because he has an athletic frame he can grow into, he has legit separational speed and high level puck possession skill. He also showed he can finish with 7 goals in 7 games at U18 Worlds in a variety of ways; dekes, one-timers, quick release snap shot in slot, etc. Talented player but has some holes currently.
Projection: First Round Selection / A-
Fabian Lysell #23 (F, R, 5’10”, 176, Team Sweden, 01/19/2003) – Lysell has some similarities to Rosen; he’s an electric skater, even more dynamic in fact than Rosen with similar if not better straight line speed and both tied for first in points on Team Sweden and both coming off low production seasons in the SHL. Again being able to play in the SHL as a teenager is a feat in and of itself, several top ranked prospects from last years draft have a similar trajectory. Also like Rosen the U18 Worlds was a big event for Lysell despite already being well known this cemented him as a first round talent and likely top half.
Breakdown/Analysis: Lysell is a dynamic playmaker with elite speed and skating ability. He’s shifty, elusive and tough to defend in the open ice and he can separate both on the rush with straight line speed or in tight areas with first step quickness. He’s agile and can accelerate with ease forward, backward and sideways; he stops on dime and changes direction quickly and plays with a high motor, hunting pucks and pushing the pace. He has impressive puck control at top speed and is able to keep his head up, read the situation and make the high percentage play. He has some wiggle in his game and he does take chances on occasion with slippery moves and 1v1 skill but more often makes the smart play. At U18 Worlds he pressed it at times trying to do too much or make home run plays when they were trailing Team Canada in the semi-finals and got a little sloppy when they were up big on Finland in the consolation game but overall he was arguably the teams best forward. He has decent core strength, he can get through checks and contact and while he’s more of an open ice playmaker than a corner grinder, he didn’t shy away and is able to create scoring chances off the cycle. Our favorite attribute about Lysell is that while he’s a high skill playmaker; he approaches the game like an energy player with relentless forechecks and constant motor in all three-zones.
Risk/Value: Another talented Sweedish winger who is sub 6ft and lacks production at the pro level. His game is a tad less consistent than Rosen but he’s more skilled, dynamic and creative. He has potential as a top line winger in the NHL but he’s got some holes; he isn’t’ disciplined defensively despite a high compete level, he isn’t great along the boards or in the corners and he overexposes the puck leading to a lot of turnovers. With that being said it’d be hard to find many players in this draft who can match his skill and speed combination and despite not having a lot of offensive production at the pro level at least he’s played pro level competition and is further along then many other draft prospects; some of which are ranked above him which he showed at U18 Worlds. One thing that will neutralize some of the risks is his compete level and the fact he can play up and down the lineup at the next level if he needs to but he’s most suited for top six , powerplay minutes.
Projection: Top Half First Round / A
Simon Robertsson #26 (F, L, 6’0″, 190, Skelleftea AIK, 02/05/2003) – Robertsson is a player who has steadily climbed up NHL Draft boards after showing well last season in the J20 SuperElit league and getting some games at the end of the year in the SHL and then this year making a jump to that level playing 22 games and getting top six minutes with the U18 Sweden team at World Championships. He plays a different style than the other highly ranked Swedes in that he is more of a power forward, 200ft type prospect but he’s got top echelon talent as well.
Breakdown/Analysis: Robertsson is a big, strong, power forward who got 22 games this year in SHL and while his stat line doesn’t reflect it there; he’s a natural goal scorer. He knows how to attack the defense, he knows where the soft spots are in the scoring areas and gets open for his teammates with a prepared stick and can finish on one-timers, one-touches, quick catch and shoots and patient dekes. He has a full array of net front skills, he can take hits to make plays, he can dig his feet in and screen goalies, he has decent hand eye coordination to redirect shots and tip pucks and bury loose pucks around the net. In many way the North American game is more fitting to his skill set with less space and more puck battles which is where he excels. He compliments his power game with a disciplined defensive game; he plays his position covering the points and finishing checks and playing with an active stick to clog lanes. He’s tough to play against, he protects pucks, wins 50/50 pucks and is dangerous in the scoring areas. Robertsson knows what he is and plays to his strengths as a potential 2nd line winger in the NHL but can also play a depth role if needed.
Breakdown/Analysis: Robertsson is not going to wow with his speed or skill; he’s competent in both areas but he’s more of a tough, 200ft winger with finishing ability. He shields the puck well along the boards, he can push opponents off pucks and win battles and has the power and edges to drive the net and open up lanes for his teammates. He can play up and down the roster and is proven on both special teams units playing top line PP at U18 Worlds as the net front option and also got quality PK time.The knock on Robertsson is that at 6ft 190lbs he isn’t going to be as physically dominant against older strong competition as he was at U18 Worlds and even there he wasn’t as physically imposing as we would have thought he’d be. His current frame doesn’t indicate NHL big body power forward and his skill set doesn’t indicate playmaking skilled forward so he’s a bit of a hybrid which can be a gift and can be a curse depending on what the NHL teams. He’s more of a complimentary player than a feature forward but with that being said he’s got the versatility to do the dirty work and also take pucks to the net and take hits to make plays. His game will translate at the higher levels so while he doesn’t have likely a top line NHL upside, he has a lower risk profile then others here because he can make an impact in other ways than just scoring goals.
Projection: Bottom Half First Round/ A-
Oskar Olausson #24 (F, L, 6’2″, 189, SV71, 11/10/2002) – Olausson has had a bit of a different path than the other potential first round Swedes in that his precluded him from playing in the U18 Worlds and he served as a role player for the U20 World Junior team. He didn’t get a ton of time there but if you re-watch the tape he actually performed quite well in his limited minutes. He had a strong start to the year in the J20 Nationell league averaging nearly a goal and an assist each game and was not a one-dimensional offensive talent he also killed penalties and was stout defensively in his own end. He then made the move to the HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL where he proved he can play against older, faster competition.
Breakdown/Analysis: Olausson has a versatile skill set as a tall, athletic, two-way forward who has speed, puck carrying ability and a quick, accurate, powerful release. He’s a late ‘02 who has really ascended this season and put himself in the discussion for a first round selection. He has the size and fame that he can grow into, he’s athletic and moves well across the ice with a fluid stride and his hands are both quick and poised. He can stickhandle around defenders or he can beat them wide with speed. He takes smart pursuit angles on the forecheck, he gets his stick in lanes and forces the play and while he’s not overly physical he’s controlled and has good body and stick positioning. What stood out particularly in the World Juniors is that when he loses a puck he fights hard to get it back and doesn’t lack in the effort areas of his game; he backchecks with authority, he defends with discipline and stops and starts on pucks. While most players show their IQ with what they do with the puck; he shows his IQ by his play away from the puck identifying and skating to the soft areas and getting in behind defenders and understanding time and space and how to attack a defense on the rush. He creates space for himself around the net, always has a target for the puck carrier and works to get open for them in a quality scoring area.
Risk/Value: There isn’t a ton of risk with Olausson in that he has all the tools of an NHL player; the size, the brain, the skating ability, the skill and scoring and he’s also the kind of player who is trending upwards. Value will depend on where he goes in the draft; does he half top line skill and scoring? No. Is he a menace and physical presence in all three-zones? No. He’s really good in every area of the ice and can play in every situation so his top side is probably mid-first round and could go as low as mid-second round but anything outside the top 25, in our opinion, is a strong value for a player with this expansive and versatile of a skill set. One knock you could say that is fair is that while he’s played very well against his age group he hasn’t had much production playing with older players and while Rosen and Lysell have legitimate excuses given their size; he doesn’t quite have that excuse. The other knock is that while he’s arguably a better overall player than Robertsson; he doesn’t have an established style of play at this stage in his career whereas Robertsson does and takes pride in that role.
NHL Projection: Bottom Half First Round / A-
Anton Olsson #4 (D, L, 6’1″, 170, 01/26/2003) – Olsson is a good-sized, mature, physical defenseman who can play a lot of minutes and contain other teams’ top lines. His defensive game is more impressive than his offensive game but he did quarterback the Swedish power play at U18 Worlds and showed a bullet one-timer. What is most impressive is that while Rosen, Olausson and Lysell, who are all ranked above him, played in under 25 SHL games and averaged between 10-13 mins a game; he played 41 games and averaged over 14 mins a game including special teams. His ceiling may not be as high as others but he’s as ready for the pro level as anyone in Sweden outside Eklund and Edvinsson.
Breakdown/Analysis: Olsson is what we’d call “quiet in a good way” where he can log a lot of minutes, play multiple roles and has very few turnovers or mistakes. He plays the percentages, has a conservative and safe approach to his puck play, he makes quick outlets and snaps it off his blade without hesitation. He plays the body but isn’t an open ice body checker he’s more of a ride the opponent off the puck type and box out around his net front. He defends very well against the rush using his body positioning and angling and long reach to keep opponents to the outside and manages tight gaps giving up very little ice. He also defends well in zone, he keeps his head on a swivel, he gets to his opponent quickly and pushes opponents off their line to the net and has a good, active stick. However, his retrievals were often rushed and he rimmed pucks when he had enough time to make a direct pass. He is mobile and can stay on opponents in the neutral zone but he could improve his backward acceleration and transitions and could also play a more physical brand of hockey once he fills out. He is low risk so he doesn’t make many mistakes but he also doesn’t make a lot of plays either. The most impressive thing about him was his play with Malmo this season in the SHL where he was able to climb up the depth chart and get quality minutes, defend players 10+ years older than him and keep his composure defensively against odd man rushes. He has more offense than he gets credit for and showed it at U18 Worlds running the power play with his heavy shot and crisp puck movement.
Risk/Value: He would be a bit of a risk as a first round pick because the upside isn’t quite there; but as a second or third round pick he brings value as someone who’s proven against pro competition and is tough to play against. He has a long, athletic frame and will be able to add muscle without impacting his mobility. He understands his game, he plays to his strengths and he can be counted on to defend a lead or make the safe play in key moments. He can match up against top lines and an improving offensive game that will develop in time as he gets more ice time.
Projection: 2nd Round / B+
Joel Nystrom #26 (D, R, 5’10”, 165, 05/14/2002) – Nystrom is an undersized, mobile defenseman with quickness and agility. He played 33 games in the SHL after a promising start to the season in the J20 Nationell league where he had 11 points in 15 games. This was his first year in the SHL playing U18 and U16 the past few seasons and made an immediate impact with his mobility and athleticism which caught NHL teams attention.
Breakdown/Analysis: Nystrom is a polished skating puck moving defenseman who was quick back on retrievals, showed clever escape moves and swift, accurate passes on the tape. He processes the ice quickly which allows him to make quick movements and clean breakouts before the forecheck can get established. He moves well across the offensive blue line but appears to be more of a distributor than a shooter although he does have a quick release and keeps his shots low to get through traffic and generate rebound and tips. Nystrom has quick hands and can walk defenders who overcommit and he’s got the vision and skill to make difficult passes over sticks and cross ice through the neutral zone. Defensively he plays a tight game; he’s quick on opponents, he gives up very little space and has an aggressive approach to step up at the blue lines and force chips or dump-ins. Nystrom isn’t a banger or real physical presence but he defends well with his skating and his stick play, he lifts sticks around the net and keeps his head on a swivel to pick up coverage backdoor. He’s quick in the transition game with both his footwork and his puck movement and can spring teammates for odd-man rushes through the neutral zone.
Risk/Value: Nystrom brings value as a mid round pick because of his skating ability, maturity and experience playing at the pro level. With that being said he’s on some boards in the second round and that brings with it some risk because he’s undersized, he’s not overly tough to play against defensively although he’s very tough to get around 1v1, and he hasn’t proven he can produce offensively at the higher level. All of his point production historically have been in weaker leagues so the risk is that you give up size and power on the blue line and may not get an offensive return for that sacrifice because he hasn’t proven that yet. He also hasn’t played in any international tournament as a late bloomer prospect and again carries some additional risk if he’s being taken in the early rounds but it’s a fair and even good value in the middle rounds because of his skating, balance and two-way game that is proven at the pro level.
Projection: Mid Rounder (3-5th Round)
Victor Stjernborg #6 (F, L, 5’11”, 200, 05/22/2003) – Stjernborg is as accomplished in the SHL as anyone here outside of Eklund playing in 30 games with 4 points in the regular season and adding another 10 games in the playoffs. He’s a plus player, he plays a hard, two-way game and is physical and direct at both ends of the ice. He had success internationally at U17’s but was not on the Sweden U18 for World Championships in Texas which was a bit surprising especially considering his style of play translates better with the North American game.
Breakdown/Analysis: Stjernborg is one of the tougher players to project in Sweden because he is a strong, balanced skater who has 40 games in the SHL under his belt as a plus player and prior to U18 Worlds had success in international play. He’s got a great speed and balance combination, he can skate through contact and make plays in traffic but his role for Vaxjo is an energy role player so it was tough to see what he can do from a skill perspective. He’s an honest 200ft forward who competes as hard defensively as he does offensively, he finishes checks and plays an in your face style on the forecheck and puck pursuits. He ties up his winger on the draw, gets back on the backcheck and plays with an active stick to cut down passing and shooting options. Stjernborg showed grit and also efficiency on his wall play with the ability to box out opponents from the puck and use that extra time to move it quickly. He has real zip on his passes and once he moves it accelerates up ice to get it back. If we look back to his time in the first half of the season in the J20 Nationell league we can see his playmaking ability as both a scorer and a finisher but since he made the move to the SHL it’s harder to find that element of his game on the tape.
Risk/Value: He has value in both his speed, balance and tenacious style of play which will help teams at the next level, particularly in the playoffs. Does he have enough skill? We think so but hard to tell since he’s been a role player in the SHL and hasn’t had the opportunity this year ot play internationally with his age group. He’s lower risk than most because he’s got 40 pro games under his belt and is a tough to play against, honest, 200ft forward who can play a bottom six role and be effective but there’s a risk he doesn’t make it to the NHL and lacks the upside of his fellow Swedes in the league. He’s tough to call; he likely has value in the mid to late rounds but it’d be a stretch to take him in the early rounds.
Projection: 3-4th Round; B
Linus Sjodin #18 (F, L, 6’0″, 170, 10/02/2002) – Sjodin is late ‘02 with 22 games in the SHL after nearly a point per game start to the season in the J20 Nationell. Prior to this season he played in the J20 SuperElit and has steadily improved his game year to year. He’s added some size and some poise which has helped him make the transition to the SHL
Breakdown/Analysis: What stands out most about Sjodin if you look at the totality of his season is that he played top six center role in the J20 Nationell league and then made a seamless transition to the SHL playing wing; not many players can make that jump particularly when changing positions. Not only did his position change but his role as well; in the J20 he was a prominent two-way forward who was counted on to add offense and make plays with the puck; in the SHL he gets infrequent ice time and is a role player giving his team hard shifts and playing almost entirely without the puck. He played both roles very well. He’s a balanced skater with good acceleration, he takes smart pursuit angles and is a dog on loose pucks. He takes hits to make plays, he gets his stick in lanes defensively to cut down the angle and is quick out to his points. He has smooth yet sturdy hands and can make plays in traffic and skate through contact.
Risk/Value: Sjodin is a talented, multi-faceted prospect who is versatile and can play any role which he proved his season. The downside is that he isn’t as dynamic as the other NHL draft prospects in the SHL and he’s not overly big or physical to be a bottom six at the pro level either. He has good value as a later rounder and probably fair value as a mid-rounder but too many question marks about his offensive skill set against top level competition to be an early round pick. He hasn’t played international competition which could mean he’s a hidden gem or that he hasn’t been selected for good reason.
Oskar Kvist #28 (F, L, 6’4″, 205, 06/04/2001) – Kvist is an interesting prospect in that he’s been passed up 2x in the NHL Draft but his showing this year at the World Juniors caught some attention as a 6’4” power forward with an edge to his game. A late bloomer prospect he played 34 games in the SHL this season and while he wasn’t a scoring machine, he’s a strong, physical presence who doesn’t take penalties.
Breakdown/Analysis: Kvist is a late bloomer who is having himself a strong season and putting himself on NHL Draft boards as an overager. He’s got terrific size and strength, he’s physical and tough to play against and while his stride has some deficiencies he makes up for it with his hustle and toughness. His biggest stage was at the U20 World Junior Championships where he played the role of penalty killer and bottom six two-way forward. He has more skill than he gets credit for, decent straight line speed and the awareness to know his game and where he needs to be on the ice. He does a lot of drive drop plays to give his teammates time and space while he takes a defender with him on a hard net drive. He forechecks hard, finishes checks and gets back to support his defenders in D-zone coverage. He can play both on and off side wing and is a physical, three-zone presence.
Risk/Value: He’s two years older than most of the kids being drafted so you’d want to see him further along offensively, but in a COVID year where players didn’t get seen as much live; it’s safe to take a big, strong, heavy forward who showed well at World Juniors and has 34 games in pro hockey under his belt. He makes sense as a late round potential or invite to rookie camps but would be a bit of a stretch in the middle rounds given his age and his lack of offensive production.
Projection: Late Round Consideration
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images