William Hakansson (D, L, 6’4″, 207, Lulea HF J20, 10/08/2007) William Hakansson is a 6’4′, 207 lb left-shot defenseman who brings NHL size and strength, but his projection is that of a limited, role-specific player whose upside will depend on how much pace and agility he can add to his game over the next few years. He has already logged time across SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan levels, which is a positive indicator of trust and maturity. He is a defense first thinking defender with a 56% puck battle win rate, 91% pass completion, and the ability to handle defensive face-offs against opposing top units. He understands structure, plays within himself, and can move pucks efficiently on first touch. He competes physically and is willing to engage. He is a player who plays hard, closes quickly, and uses his size to separate opponents, at times showing over-aggression which I view as a positive. Defensively, he is difficult to play against in net-front and wall situations, using his frame and reach to box out and win space, and his 5.9 takeaways per game show puck anticipation and stick detail. However, his limitations with the puck and in transition cap his upside as he generates very little offensively (2.3 shot attempts/game, 0.26 grade ‘A’ chances/game, 0.49 pre-shot passes/game). Hakansson is offensively efficient, he is not a play driver. His skating is adequate for his size but not a strength and still developing lateral mobility and an explosive first step. Currently he can struggle with pace against quicker opponents, particularly late in shifts or quick retrieval-to-transition sequences. I feel his offensive ceiling is minimal, and his game projects strictly as a defensive specialist. Ultimately, Hakansson has a path to the NHL as a depth, bottom-pair defenseman who can kill penalties, provide physicality, and play a simple, structured game, but his margin for error is small, especially if his skating and puck play do not continue to improve. He risks being exposed by pace at higher levels; as such, I view him is a mid-second round draft candidate whose value lies in his size, defensive reliability, and role clarity, with a realistic projection as a third-pair NHL defenseman in 4 years.
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