Theodor Niederbach – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #3

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:46:58 +0000

Nate Danielson. Photo by Erica Perreaux.

Top 20 Detroit Red Wing Prospects

1. Simon Edvinsson

One of the most promising prospects in the league, the Detroit Red Wings bet big on Edvinsson in the 2021 NHL Draft, calling his name sixth overall. He had a solid draft year bouncing between the SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, and J20 Nationell but popped in his DY+1 season, fully spent in the SHL, where he was named the top junior player in the league. He then signed his entry-level deal and was playing in the AHL last season as a bright spot on a struggling team. He has the ideal size at 6- 6”, 215 pounds, he has excellent hands, is a very strong skater, with high-end vision, and his confidence seemed to be improving with every game. He has a big reach and greatly improved his defensive game last season. He’s the type of player that will be leading an NHL team from the back end and with his NHL debut already under his belt, he’s not far off.

2. Marco Kasper - C

The Red Wings were back picking in the top 10 in the 2022 NHL Draft, where they plucked Kasper eighth overall. The Austrian centreman spent the past three seasons playing in Sweden, seeing increasing time at the SHL level with Rogle BK. He already plays like a pro, highlighted by his calm demeanour and patience under pressure. He has a strong two-way presence already, playing hard at both ends of the ice even when the puck isn’t on his stick. Kaspar is an intelligent player who plays a highly competitive game, mixed in with some creativity and impressive skill. He looks like a safe bet to be a top six forward at the NHL level, likely slotting in as the second-line centre if not the eventual first liner. There’s so much to like about his game, with very little weakness. He’s already signed to an ELC, and has played in his first NHL game, so don’t expect him to take much longer.

3. Nate Danielson - C

Danielson is able to impact almost every facet of a game, routinely leaving his fingerprints all over his shifts. He is a fantastic skater with long, crisp strides who can cover a ton of ice in a hurry without requiring a lot of energy. It almost looks like he's not even exerting himself at times as he flies past opponents and down the ice, or catches them on the backcheck. The amount of offense he can generate off the rush is absurd, easily getting around defenders to open up passing lanes or winning races to the backdoor to get there first for easy tap-ins. He's constantly sending passes to the net-front or skating there himself looking for chances. Danielson is not necessarily bad when he has to slow things down and play in tight spaces, but he's generally less proficient that way. Overall, his game is a little predictable at the moment. While he might never be someone who scores more than 70 points in a season, it's easy to foresee him nevertheless becoming a top six center who can play on both special teams and match up well defensively against opponents’ top lines.

4. Axel Sandin Pellikka - D

In the minds of some in the business, the Detroit Red Wings picked the draft’s most talented defenseman 17th overall this summer, from their favorite scouting grounds in Sweden. In Sandin-Pellikka, you not only have one of the ‘23 draft’s shiftiest, headiest, and most creative defenseman, but also a player who was found across the globe throughout last season. From the Hlinka Gretzky Cup until the gold medal game at the U18 Worlds (11 points and a +8 in 7 games), Sandin-Pellikka suited up for a whopping 114 games between his SHL club, its junior program, and Sweden's U18 & U20 national teams. Together with the U18, U20, and pro action conducted for his Skelleftea club, his activity also included Champions Hockey League and the 5 Nations Tournament competition. At all levels, we were constantly exposed to what was basically a full portfolio of Sandin-Pellikka’s wares, witnessing his creativity, on-ice intelligence, athleticism, and three-zone headiness. We would be remiss not to point out that he didn’t just play in a lot of games, but received heavy minutes in the biggest ones, including 24:17 minutes of play for Sweden in the WJC semifinal and another 27:27 in the gold medal game. Possessing all the attributes of a classic blueline quarterback, Sandin-Pellikka will continue his march to the NHL this season in a boosted role with both title-hungry Skelleftea and Sweden’s WJC entry.

5. William Wallinder - D

If one towering, Swedish defender in the system wasn’t enough - how about two? At 6- 4”, 190 pounds, Wallinder is a confident, mobile defender that excels in transition. Selected 32nd overall in 2020 out of the J20 SuperElit, he spent the next season in the HockeyAllsvenskan with MoDo Hockey before moving to Rogle, spending the following two seasons in the SHL, taking noticeable steps forward in his game along the way. Some early concerns in his game were his processing and his defensive play, both of which have looked much better lately. He was rewarded for that by signing his entry-level deal with the Red Wings, heading overseas to start his North American career. He’s an all-situations rearguard who, while still a bit raw, has all of the tools to be a strong, top-four NHL defender - and doesn’t seem that far off.

6. Sebastian Cossa - G

Cossa has the potential to be something special. A massive goaltending prospect at 6-6”, he dominated the WHL for three seasons - ultimately winning the league championship in 2021-22 and being named a First Team All-Star. The goaltender made the jump to the pros last season, spending most of his campaign in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. It wasn’t a perfect season, but he improved as the season rolled on, ultimately being named as a replacement player in the ECHL All-Star Game. He’s athletic, strong, his reflexes are excellent, and his movement is surprisingly agile for a netminder of his size. He can get himself in trouble by getting lost in heavy traffic and his five-hole is a regular concern, but the upside is real. He’s still very young and has time to work on the gaps in his game. He has the potential to become a clear-cut No. 1 in the NHL.

7. Carter Mazur - LW

The ascension of Mazur has been very real since the Red Wings nabbed him 70th overall back in the 2021 NHL Draft. Plucked out of the USHL as the captain of the Tri-City Storm, the winger was good, but not a top prospect by any means. Now with two years at the University of Denver under his belt, the prospect has already signed his NHL entry-level deal and has made the jump to the AHL. Mazur’s work ethic has been on display throughout his NCAA career and is a big part of the move to the professional game. He’s highly competitive and can be thrown into any role in the lineup and succeed. He has a strong body, great instincts, and knows how to find the twine. He could very easily carve out a middle-six role for himself in the not-too-distant future.

8. Trey Augustine – G

A 2023 second round selection of the Detroit Red Wings, the extremely battle-tested Augustine joins an ever-growing cupboard of solid goaltending prospects in Detroit’s system. Having gained considerable experience in the 2021-22season thanks to time split with the USNTDP’s U17 and U18squads, Augustine eventually found himself pitching a 3-1record for the US in earning silver at the 2022 U18 Worlds. He entered this season primed for plenty of ice time, ultimately collecting an impressive 29-1-2 with the U18 NTDP with a .926 save percentage. A strong bronze medal showing at the WJC paved his path to an outstanding gold medal performance at the 2023 U18 Worlds, putting up a perfect6-0 record accompanied by almost unheard of numbers, namely a 1.61 GAA and .934 save percentage. Of somewhat average size for a modern goaltender, Augustine shines with technically well-schooled movements complemented by extremely strong positional play, solid agility, and a strong reading of the game. He’ll attend Michigan State University this fall, tagging up on a multi-year journey of development with his former USNTDP coach Adam Nightingale.

9. Dmitri Buchelnikov - LW

Buchelnikov is proof that the Red Wings will always bet on skill and upside. The Russian winger may only stand at 5- 9”, 150 pounds, but the offensive game he possesses makes him stand three feet taller. He tore up the MHL in his draft year, collecting 75 points in 56 games. Last season, he took a step forward, spending most of his time in the VHL, continuing with his offensive success against men. He uses his impressive edges and quick hands to gain position, and then boasts a surprising toolbox of shots. He has a fearlessness in his game. The big questions remaining are around his size and how he’ll translate to the NHL, but so far against men, he has put those concerns to bed. Buchelnikov is signed with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg through 2024-25, so he’ll also have a couple more years to develop in Russia before he makes the jump to North America.https://www.mckeenshockey.com/players/shai-buium/

10. Shai Buium - D

Spending the past two seasons with Mazur at the University of Denver, Buium has cemented himself as a strong two-way presence on the backend. He was drafted 36th overall in 2021 from the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, his only season with the team before heading to college where he won a national title as a rookie. While he can contribute offensively, he leans more to the defensive side of things, playing a very well-rounded game in his own zone. The defender is an intelligent player, and it shows in his reading and anticipation of the play. He rarely makes a mistake with the puck. Buium has some physicality in his game and has a strong first pass. His skating still needs some fine-tuning to help take him to that next level, at which point he could slide into a bottom-four defensive pairing

11. Amadeus Lombardi - LW

A breakout season in the OHL with Flint has many in the Detroit system and fanbase optimistic about Lombardi’s chances of developing into a quality middle six forward. He is a terrific playmaker and could move surprisingly fast through the system if he adapts to the pro level quickly.

12. Elmer Soderblom - RW

The massive winger had a very promising first year in North America, splitting time between Detroit and AHL Grand Rapids. While his offensive ceiling might be limited, there is some hope that he can be a Tomas Holmstrom type.

13. Albert Johansson - D

A strong skating defender who is a former second round selection of the Wings. While his performance as an AHL rookie last year was not poor, Detroit will be looking for him to step up his game as a sophomore, improving his confidence at both ends.

14. Andrew Gibson - D

Gibson is a real heart and soul kind of defender. He competes physically. He blocks shots. He is a future leader. He might just have some untapped offensive upside that he can tap into over the next two years in the OHL.

15. Noah Dower Nilsson - LW

After drafting his older brother Liam last year, the Wings took Noah in the 2023 draft. Noah is the better athlete and has the higher offensive ceiling thanks to his playmaking chops and creativity. He will look to become an SHL regular this year.

16. Antti Tuomisto - D

Tuomisto left the University of Denver early to play pro in Finland with TPS and that decision appears to have been a good one for his development. The big defender probably doesn’t have significant offensive upside, but his length and mobility give him intriguing defensive upside as he starts his pro journey in North America this year.

17. Cross Hanas - LW

Hanas missed a good chunk of his rookie AHL season with an upper body injury, but he played well upon returning. He is one of the most naturally gifted offensive players in Detroit’s system. His hands and creativity are terrific.

18. Dylan James - LW

A second-round pick in 2022, James is a competitive slot presence who should develop into an excellent complementary offensive piece. His freshman year at UND wasn’t terrific, but he should be better as a sophomore.

19. Theodor Niederbach - C

The Wings are still waiting for Niederbach to take that next step as an offensive force in Sweden. After a tough year in the Rogle system last year, he has switched to MoDo this year, where he can hopefully get his development back on track.

20. Redmond Savage - C

The former captain of the U.S. U18 team, Savage has been great internationally for the U.S. at the last two World Juniors but has had less luck with NCAA Miami (Ohio). That’s why he entered the transfer portal and is headed to Michigan State for 2023-24.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #5 Detroit Red Wings

Josh Bell — Wed, 24 May 2023 13:24:00 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 5^th (11^th last year)

The Yzerplan now enters its fifth year, with yet another high draft pick to show for their efforts following a seventh year out of the playoffs. Steve Yzerman took over in April 2019 and has overseen four drafts to date. He has had four top ten picks in that time, delivering Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider who are fixtures in the line-up and Simon Edvinsson, who made his NHL debut in nine games, and looks not far off from the NHL. He also added Marco Kasper last year at 8^th overall. Kasper has signed his entry-level contract and has the intelligence and two-way game that should translate to a spot in the line-up before too long. They are joined by the sixth ranked goaltending prospect Sebastien Cossa, a massive goaltender who shows tremendous potential. The system is not only strong at the top, but it is deep with 10 prospects in our top 200.

Yzerman enters the 2023 draft with five picks in the first two rounds. He also owns five first-round picks over the next three drafts, moving Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek to acquire the extras. Entering the season, the team was aggressive in free agency, Adding David Perron and Andrew Copp, and Ben Chiarot among others. When it was clear the results were not what they were hoping for, he was quick to move veteran pieces for picks. If you look at his moves at the 2021 NHL Draft, he moved three picks to move up to #15 to acquire Cossa, and two picks to move up to #36 to acquire Shai Buium. Signing Dylan Larkin to an eight-year extension signaled a desire to see the team begin to win now. The foundation has been laid with some excellent talent, already impacting the roster. He will look to add pieces that can help sooner rather than later.

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 04: Simon Edvinsson (3) of the Detroit Red Wings passes the puck during the first period of the NHL game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens on April 4, 2023, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

Simon Edvinsson

One of the most promising prospects in the league, the Detroit Red Wings bet big on Simon Edvinsson in the 2021 NHL Draft, calling his name sixth overall. He had a solid draft year bouncing between the SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, and J20 Nationell but popped in his DY+1 season, fully in the SHL, where he was named the top junior player. He then signed his entry-level deal and has been playing in the AHL as a bright spot on a struggling team. He has the size at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, he has excellent hands, has very strong skating, high-end vision, and his confidence seemed to be improving every game. He has a big reach and has improved his defensive game this season. He’s the type of player that will be leading an NHL Team from the back end and with his NHL debut already under his belt, he’s not far off.

2. Marco Kasper

The Red Wings were back in the top 10 in the 2022 NHL Draft, where they plucked Marco Kasper eighth overall. The Austrian centreman has spent the past three seasons playing in Sweden, seeing increasing time at the SHL level with Rogle BK. He already plays like a pro, highlighted by his calm demeanour and patience under pressure. He has a strong two-way presence already, playing hard in both ends of the ice even when the puck isn’t on his stick. He’s an intelligent player that plays a highly competitive game, mixed in with some creativity and impressive skill. He looks like a safe bet to be a top-six forward at the NHL, likely slotting in as the second-line centre if not the eventual first. There’s so much to like about his game, with very little weakness. He’s already signed, so keep an eye on him to head overseas in the near future.

3. William Wallinder

If one towering, Swedish defender in the system wasn’t enough - how about two? At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, William Wallinder is a confident, mobile defender that excels in transition. Selected 32nd overall in 2020 out of the J20 SuperElit, Wallinder spent the next season in the HockeyAllsvenkan with MODO Hockey before moving to Rogle and spending the following two seasons in the SHL, taking noticeable steps forward in his game along the way. Some early concerns in his game were his processing and his defensive play, both of which have looked much better as of late. He was rewarded for that by recently signing his entry-level deal with the Red Wings, heading overseas to start his North American career. He’s an all-situations rearguard who while still a bit raw, has all of the tools to be a strong, top-four NHL defender - and doesn’t seem that far off.

4. Sebastian Cossa

Sebastian Cossa has the potential to be something special. A massive goaltending prospect at 6-foot-6, he dominated the WHL for three seasons - ultimately winning the league championship in 2021-22 and being named a First Team All-Star. The goaltender has made the jump to the pros this season, spending most of his campaign in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. It hasn’t been a perfect season, but he’s improved as the season has rolled on, ultimately being named as a replacement player in the ECHL All-Star Game. He’s athletic, strong, his reflexes are excellent, and his movement is surprisingly agile for a netminder of his size. He can get himself in trouble by getting lost in heavy traffic and his five-hole is a regular concern, but the upside is real. He’s still very young and has time to work on the gaps in his game. He has the potential to become a clear-cut No. 1.

5. Carter Mazur

The ascension of Carter Mazur has been very real since the Red Wings nabbed him 70th overall back in the 2021 NHL Draft. Plucked out of the USHL as the captain of the Tri-City Storm, the winger was good, but not a top prospect by any means. Fast forward to now, with two years at the University of Denver under his belt, the prospect has already signed his NHL entry-level deal and has made the jump to the AHL. Mazur’s work ethic has been on display throughout his NCAA career and is a big part of the jump to the AHL. He’s highly competitive and can be thrown into any role in the lineup and succeed. He’s a strong body, has great instincts, and knows how to find the twine. He could very easily carve out a middle-six role for himself in the not-too-distant future.

6. Dmitri Buchelnikov

Dmitri Buchelnikov is proof that the Red Wings will always bet on skill and upside. The Russian winger may stand at 5-foot-9, 150 pounds, but the offensive game he possesses makes him stand three feet taller. He tore up the MHL in his draft year, collecting 75 points in 56 games. This season, he took a step forward and spent most of his time in the VHL, continuing with his offensive success against men. He uses his impressive edges and quick hands to gain position and then boasts a surprising toolbox of shots. He’s fearless in his game. The big questions are around his size and how he’ll translate to the NHL, but so far against men, he’s put those concerns to bed. He’s signed with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg through 2024-25, so he’ll also have a couple more years to develop in Russia before he makes the jump to North America.

7. Amadeus Lombardi

One of the biggest risers of the 2022-23 season has been Amadeus Lombardi. The centreman is in just his sophomore season in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds, and after a respectable rookie year (59 points in 67 games) he’s exploded this season for over 100 points. Lombardi is a very strong skater, who never seems to take his foot off the gas. He’s proven that he’s a dual threat, being able to feed the middle or finish things on his own. The Red Wings selected him 113th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, and just a few months later saw all they needed to see to sign him to his entry-level deal. He’ll take some time before he gets to the NHL but could see time in the AHL sooner rather than later. He’s likely a bottom-six winger at the next level, but one that could play up the lineup when called upon.

8. Elmer Soderblom

While the size of Edvinsson and Wallinder is impressive, Elmer Soderblom isn’t intimidated standing at 6-foot-8, 247-pounds. As a winger with his size, you wouldn’t expect him to be a skilled player, but that’s exactly what he is. Drafted 159th overall in 2019 after his rookie season in the J20 SuperElit, he took a huge step forward in 2019-20, leading the league in goals (29) and the South division in points (38). He continued his upward trend through two years in the SHL before coming over to North America this season where he split his time between the AHL and NHL. His hands are excellent, he excels at driving the middle of the ice, and he already seems comfortable in the NHL. Expect him to graduate from this list very soon and don’t be surprised when he locks down a middle-six role for himself.

9. Shai Buium

Spending the past two seasons with Mazur at the University of Denver, Shai Buium has cemented himself as a strong two-way presence on the backend. He was drafted 36th overall in 2021 from the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, his only season with the team before heading to Denver to win a National Title as a rookie. While he can contribute offensively, he leans more to the defensive side of things, playing a very well-rounded game in his own zone. The defender is an intelligent player, and it shows in his reading and anticipation of the play. You’ll rarely catch him making a mistake with the puck. He has some physicality in his game and has a strong first pass. His skating does need some fine-tuning to help take him to that next level, at which point he could slide in well to a bottom-four defensive unit.

10. Albert Johansson

Along with Soderblom, Albert Johansson was selected in the 2019 NHL Draft out of the J20 SuperElit and has seen excellent progression since then in Sweden before making the jump to North America this season. The defender spent the last three seasons in the SHL with Farjestad BK, taking a notable step forward each year. He’s spent this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins and looks poised to take the next step in the near future. While his ceiling isn’t overly high, he’s carved out a desired role for himself as a defender that can drive play through transition, whether through his strong passing or his fluid, quick skating. As seems to be a trend with Red Wings prospects, he’s a very intelligent player that looks ready to take the next step. He may just slot in as a bottom-pair defender, but he’ll excel in that role.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 17:47:31 +0000

Simon Edvinsson D

Edvinsson was selected with the 6^th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021 NHL draft. Detroit has recently invested heavily in Swedish prospects drafting at least seven Swedish players combined over the last four drafts. Edvinsson has a unique set of traits that makes him a high-upside prospect. He has an unfair combination of size and speed, standing at 6’6” while having a smooth, powerful skating stride. Defensively, he has great gap control, can defend the rush and uses his physical abilities to bully forwards off the puck. Edvinsson’s ability to transition the puck is unique as he has puck control due to his large frame, good puck skills, and an elite skating ability. Where he could improve is his ability to make smart decisions under pressure and upgrade his shot from the point. This past season Edvinsson was given a true role in the SHL playing roughly 20 minutes a night and producing 19 points in 44 games for Frolunda. More recently, Edvinsson anchored the Swedish World Junior blue line. While his offensive production wasn’t evident, he played a solid top-pair role on the Swedish team and contributed to their bronze medal win over Czechia. He will most likely play another season in the SHL where he will look to polish his game and improve his decision making before taking on a role in Detroit. If Edvinsson reaches his full potential, Detroit will have a monster duo on the backend with he and Seider for many years to come. - ZS

Marco Kasper C

Detroit went back to the SHL with their 8^th overall pick in this year’s draft, selecting Austrian centre Marco Kasper. Detroit has been lacking centre depth in their farm system for the past few seasons and addressed with the selection of the two-way centre. Kasper was a favourite of many scouts in the NHL community this year due to his ability to play a mature game in an established role in the SHL as a 17-year-old. His combination of puck control and patience with the puck intrigued many NHL teams leading up to the draft. His ability to be a factor in all three zones of the ice and transition the puck smoothly has stood out. While there is nothing that truly stands out as elite about Kasper’s game, it is extremely well-rounded and mature for someone his age. He still has the chance to fill out his frame and become a menace with the puck. This past season, Kasper played a middle-six centre role for Rögle BK, finishing the season with 11 points in 46 games. He truly stood out in the playoffs where he was able to produce for his team when they needed it the most, finishing the SHL playoffs with six points in 13 games as his team made a run to the semi-finals. Kasper will most likely begin the next season back with Rögle BK looking to establish himself in a top-six role and enhance his offensive game. - ZS

Jonatan Berggren RW

An early 2^nd rounder in 2018, Detroit has seen no reason to rush the well-built 5’11” winger who has been forcing himself into the conversation on a yearly basis. Already an SHL regular with strong U18 Worlds and WJC performances under his belt, Berggren had a historical 20-21 season in Sweden when his 33 assists and 45 points in 49 games were the second highest number of assists by any U21 SHL forward ever. True to Red Wings form, Berggren headed to North America only after having developed into an impact player in his home nation. Whereas fellow Swede Lucas Raymond rightfully garnered all the attention in Motown this past season, Berggren was just up the road in Grand Rapids picking up right where he left off in the SHL, putting up 64 points in 70 AHL games. Despite a -18 rating, Berggren brings a typically Swedish understanding for working in all three zones and without the puck as a means of having more time with the puck. The question is now whether he can crack a Red Wings line-up that is filled with options after being as active as any team on the free agent market, supplementing the team’s strong prospect-core. Another year of AHL hockey would seem likely, but if the Red Wings suffer a lack of production, Berggren could receive his first NHL opportunity. – CL

Sebastian Cossa G

Cossa's 2021-22 season was not quite as impressive as the one prior, but the Red Wings chose him 15th overall in the 2021 draft because of his enormous long-term upside, and that still exists as it did before. It's not like his year was entirely bad — he did, after all, backstop the Edmonton Oil Kings first to a division title and then a league championship, and he was then part of Canada's gold medal-winning roster at the World Juniors this past August. On the flip side of that coin, he wasn't always a positive difference-maker on a stacked Oil Kings team that could win without relying on him, his Memorial Cup performance was pedestrian, and he sat on Canada's bench as the backup in the elimination games. In terms of physical tools, Cossa has everything that a team could want in net. His huge frame helps him naturally cover a lot of net, his long limbs allow him to take away corners from shooters, and he backs up his size with surprising quickness and high-end athleticism. His lanky limbs do get him into trouble right now, as pucks squeak under his arms more often than they should. He is also prone to over-committing while moving laterally, and he has trouble cleaning up messes in and around his crease. One shift he'll look unbeatable, but the next he'll give up a goal that could have been scored with a beach ball, so reigning in that inconsistency will be a top priority moving forward. He should be turning pro for 2022-23 and could one day become the next franchise goaltender of the Red Wings, so long as they are patient and attentive with his development. - DN

Albert Johansson D

The 60^th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Albert Johansson has continued to develop his play as a two-way defenceman with offensive upside. One of the many Detroit Red Wings’ prospects from Sweden, Johansson has spent the past three seasons playing for Färjestad BK in the SHL. He has gradually been able to improve his point total throughout those three seasons producing 13, 19 and 25 points, respectively. The 25 points he scored this season was the most among defenceman aged 21 and under in the SHL. This past season, he was given a top-four role playing roughly 18-22 minutes a night. While there may not be many areas of Johansson’s game that are elite, his game as a whole is well rounded. He is the typical modern-day mobile, puck moving defenceman. He is a fluid skater with the ability to scan the ice and transition the puck to the offensive end. Johansson’s playmaking ability has allowed him to gain a larger role in the offence, and he has been more willing to get involved in the offensive zone this past season. While he has shown to be a fairly solid defender in Sweden, Johansson could benefit from tightening up his gap control as he looks to make the next step towards an NHL career. After signing his ELC, Johansson is expected to make his way over to North America where he will establish a role in the Grand Rapids top-four, Detroit’s AHL team. At worst, Johansson projects to have a role in Detroit’s future top-six. - ZS

William Wallinder D

Wallinder was selected with the 32^nd pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He is seen as a high-upside defenceman as he stands at 6’4” and was considered one of the most refined skaters in his draft class. He is extremely athletic, which was evident this past season as his raw talent was beginning to come to fruition. In a top-four role for Rögle BK in the SHL this year, Wallinder produced 19 points in 47 games playing roughly 18-22 minutes a night. His four-way mobility is what stands out. It is a major asset when looking at his transition game, where he uses his combination of size and speed to protect the puck and transition it to the offensive zone. Over the past season, he has started to polish both his shot and decision making, allowing him to feel more comfortable making plays. He recently played for Sweden in the August World Juniors where he displayed his ability to be a force in transition and finished the tournament with three points in seven games, helping Sweden capture bronze. Wallinder is most likely heading back to Rögle BK next season in a similar top-four role, looking to improve his comfort level and make quicker decisions. Wallinder has the upside to play in Detroit’s top-four in the future. - ZS

Elmer Soderblom RW

Soderblom is a former 6^th round (159^th overall) selection by the Detroit Red Wings from the 2019 NHL draft. In his draft year, he had underperformed in the J20 league, producing only 17 points in 44 games, however the raw tools and freakish size was enough for the Wings to take a flyer on him. So far that flyer has paid off well, as Soderblom has since put the pieces together and rounded out his offensive game, dominating the J20 league back in 2020, finishing with 55 points in 36 games. He has a rare combination of extreme size at 6’8” and elite hands. His dynamic hands allow him to weave the puck in tight, which he combines with his monstrous stature to bring the puck to the net. Soderblom has also improved his shot and shot selection over time. He has timed his shots better and has improved his accuracy, finishing this past season with 21 goals in 52 SHL games. He has followed up on his impressive regular season by contributing in the playoffs with six points in nine games. In order to succeed at the next level, Soderblom should continue to work on his mobility. He often relies on his length and reach and slows his feet, allowing the opposition to avoid poke checks and burst by him. Next season, Soderblom looks to transition to North America, most likely earning a role with Detroit’s AHL team Grand Rapids. - ZS

Shai Buium D

Despite being a relatively inexperienced defenseman who wouldn’t turn 19 until the spring of his freshman season, the University of Denver Pioneers saw it fit to trust Shai Buium as a workhorse defenseman last season, giving him the third-most minutes per night of any of their blueliners and trusting him to handle special teams’ duty. Buium, the 36th overall pick at the 2021 draft, handled this challenging role well, and helped lead the Pioneers on an NCAA championship-winning campaign. Buium’s NHL projection is quite positive, his status as a top prospect is reflected in how he was able to quickly become a minutes-eating defenseman for one of the best programs in college hockey. Buium offers size, strength, and intelligence. His big six-foot-three frame is filled out well, and he’s good at using his size to his advantage through both his reach and his physicality. Buium is rarely found out of position on defense, and his work ethic is such that even if he makes a rare mistake, he’ll push himself to the limit in order to fix the mess. The tools are all there for Buium, save for one issue. Buium doesn’t move as well as you’d want to see out of a modern defenseman. He has a bit of a heavy stride, and he generates speed to slowly to confidently project him as an asset in transition. His lack of speed also gives him some issues on defense, although his contributions in his own end are still definitely a net positive. If Buium can improve his skating and get faster, the sky’s the limit. But as things currently stand, the rest of Buium’s tools are good enough to give him a solid chance at becoming an NHLer after he concludes his collegiate career. - EH

Cross Hanas LW

It was a fantastic fourth season of junior for Hanas last year, as he continued his progression by racking up 86 points in 63 games for the Portland Winterhawks, playing in all situations including regular penalty-killing duties for the first time. Flourishing under Winterhawks coach Mike Johnston, Hanas rounded out his game and improved in the defensive zone, gaining a greater understanding of his responsibilities without the puck. In March, the Red Wings inked him to a contract. Hanas’ best weapon is his hockey IQ. He can play center or the wing, anticipates the play well and makes excellent decisions with the puck. His puckhandling is very good (he scored a “Michigan” goal) and his vision and passing are plus attributes. An underrated finisher who models his game after Jonathan Huberdeau, the Texan is learning how to round out his game further and is focused on making the jump to the AHL this upcoming season. It will be interesting to see if the Red Wings feel he’s proved himself in the WHL and allow him to graduate, or if they feel he needs more time to fill out and add strength before playing against men. All in all, it’s been a positive trajectory for the 2020 2^nd rounder, who looks to be the latest in a long run of skilled players to come out of the Portland Winterhawks factory. - AS

Jared McIssac D

The best news about this past season? McIssac was finally able to stay healthy and played a nearly entire season in the AHL in his first full pro year. Previously, shoulder injuries had plagued McIssac, the former 36th overall selection in 2018 by the Wings. A two-time member of the Canadian World Junior (U20) team, which included a gold medal in 2020, there was significant concern that these injuries had stunted his development and decreased his likelihood of becoming an NHL contributor. After a full pro year, those concerns have been alleviated to some degree. McIssac was among the leaders in time on ice in Grand Rapids and was able to play in all situations for the Griffins. The 6’1 defender projects as a dependable two-way player. He is not flashy, nor does he have any truly elite qualities. However, he does everything well and his defensive game really improved over the course of his rookie pro season. He can make a good breakout pass, he has a smart stick in the defensive zone, and he has shown an ability to get pucks through to the net when quarterbacking the powerplay. There is a very quiet effectiveness to his game. With Detroit’s defensive depth at both the pro and the prospect levels, McIssac needs to continue to progress to eventually earn a look with the Wings. He could be a dependable #4-6 defenseman for them after another injury free year next season. - - BO

Donovan Sebrango

Fresh off playing a top pairing role and wearing an “A” for the gold medal winning Canadians at the recent WJC’s, Sebrango will be entering his third pro season already. The competitive defender projects as a defensively oriented #4-6 in Detroit’s lineup.

Carter Mazur

Not only did Mazur help Denver win an NCAA Championship last season as a freshman, but he was one of the U.S.’ best players at the WJC’s: a true breakout campaign for the hard working and intelligent winger.

Dmitri Buchelnikov

A Wings recent second round pick, Buchelnikov is a skilled winger who loves playing at a blistering pace. He will look to break into the KHL at some point this season.

Dylan James

Another Detroit second rounder in 2022, James was the USHL’s rookie of the year last season as helped Sioux City win the Clark Cup. The competitive winger is a solid net crasher who excels near the crease. He will attend North Dakota this year.

Eemil Viro

Viro may not have the highest offensive upside on the backend, but he does project as an NHL defender because of his mobility, physical aggressiveness, and defensive IQ. After two years in Liiga, he will play in the AHL this year.

Theodor Niederbach

The strong two-way center was one of the SHL’s best rookies last season. He is extremely versatile and can be used in any situation. Niederbach projects as a middle six pivot for the Wings.

Red Savage

Savage, the son of former NHL forward Brian Savage, is a different player than his father was. Redmond is a gritty, high energy forward who can be used in a change of pace role and can kill penalties. He should be a go to player at the University of Miami (Ohio) this year as a sophomore.

Carter Gylander

The massive Gylander is the former AJHL goaltender of the year, but his first two years at Colgate have only been average. He will be the program’s starter this year and the Wings will be hoping for a big step forward.

Amadeus Lombardi

A diamond in the rough heading into the 2022 Draft, Lombardi is coming off his first OHL season, however, he was a standout for Flint and the expectation is that he will be one of the better centers in the OHL this season.

Albin Grewe

Since being drafted in 2019, Grewe’s development hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. Grewe plays with intensity and loves to engage physically. He will repeat in the Swedish second division this season with Mora, hopefully improving his offensive production.

EUROPEAN PROSPECT ROUNDUP

Chapin Landvogt — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 19:51:45 +0000

210521 Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia ahead of the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship game between Belarus and Slovakia on May 21, 2021 in Riga.
Photo: Simon Hastegård / BILDBYRÅN / kod SH / SH0105

The 21-22 season has been underway for over eight weeks now, with the KHL having kicked off the fun already at the end of the summer. This past weekend marked a basically European-wide break in regular season action so that just about everybody’s national team can participate at a number of tournaments across the continent. This applies not only to the men’s teams, but also the U20, U18, and in some cases, U17 sides.

This also serves as an excellent time to take a look at a number of drafted and yet undrafted prospects throughout the continent and fortunately for the hockey world, there’s been a ton of interesting news on the prospect front!

One of the most interesting developments of the season can be seen in the KHL, where Winnipeg Jets 5th round draft pick, Dmitiri Rashevsky, taken as an overager in his third year of eligibility, has exceeded many expectations in popping in 14 goals and 24 points over 27 games thus far. That’s good for 19th in scoring throughout the entire league. He’s also sporting a strong +13 rating and thanks to some real good offensive company playing for Dynamo Moscow, there’s really little reason to think he’ll slow up all that much this season. It’s safe to say he’s the highest scoring 21-year-old in the KHL just now.

Making less noise in the KHL this season is Yaroslav Askarov (NAS), who has a very respectable 2.01 GAA and .904 save percentage in five KHL outings with SKA, but only a 1-1-2 record to show for it. That he’s spent four games with the club’s VHL affiliate, putting up a 2-2 record with almost identical stats doesn’t have to mean anything in the long term, but it also means he’s not quite at where recent star Russian goaltending prospects like Igor Shestyorkin and Ilya Sorokin were at his age. Alas, there is still some hockey to be played this year.

The KHL is naturally chock full of recent or older NHL draft picks, but few are looking as good at the moment as Arseni Gritsyuk (NJD). The mid-sized lefty shot has shown that his bursts of speed are effective against Russia’s best at the men’s level and he’s currently got five goals and 10 points in 18 games, having often received sheltered minutes along the way this season. Another Devils draft pick doing fine in the KHL is 2020 first rounder Shakir Mukhamadullin who is taking a regular shift for traditional power Salavat and has three goals and seven points in 27 games. He had just as many goals last season in 39 games, but it’s the overall comfort and wherewithal of his defensive game that’s sticking out. There’s routine there, and a calmer sense of urgency.

Of course, this is and continues to be the eventful year of the Matvei Michkov watch. Being 16 and getting into 10 KHL games (3 points) is a feat in and of itself, but his 11 goals and 18 points in seven games in the junior level MHL went to show that he’s ready for much more daunting tasks. He’s debuting in the Russian national team this weekend, where he’s got the hockey Twitterworld jumping out of the seats over his “Michigan goal” against Sweden. Getting phone calls from Alex Ovechkin is the icing on the cake for now and the hockey world is simply praying that the soon-to-be 17-year-old will be part of the WJC-fun in Edmonton next month.

And while the prospect talked is covered in kind by Michkov, Alexander Perevalov is quietly tearing apart the top junior league with 17 goals, 33 points, and a +21 in 22 games while fellow top 2022 prospect Ivan Miroschnichenko continues to turn heads with his nine points in 20 VHL games, meaning the 17-year-old is playing a solid role against men in Russia’s second highest pro circuit.

Nordic bliss

Next door in Finland, there’s no less noise being made by a few of the nation’s top youngsters. The biggest news in Liiga is Toronto Maple Leafs pick Topi Niemela, a defenseman taken in the 3rd round of the 2020 NHL Draft, is fifth overall in league scoring with four goals and 18 points in 20 games. We are talking about a 19-year-old kid who’s barely 170 pounds soaking wet. He was already a sensation for Finland at last winter’s WJC and he’ll be looking to return to Edmonton as Suomi’s go-to guy on the blueline.

He may very well be joined on the team by the OTHER biggest sensation in Liiga play this year, namely the just now draft-eligible Joakim Kemell and boy, has this kid been something special. His 12 goals lead the league, and his 18 points have him tied for second overall in league scoring, one point behind the league leader. More amazingly is that he’s done it in just 16 games, five less than the league’s top point producer. Some hockey people knew he’d be a player this year after no less than his five goals and six points in five Hlinka Gretzky Tournament games, but his season has been off the charts. There’s no other way of putting it.

Also doing well for themselves are a couple of smaller, offensively oriented defensemen. Anttoni Honka (CAR) has already got 13 points in 20 games after a fantastic 31 in 58 games last season. He’s really done nothing less than steadily produced since Carolina drafted him. Then there’s former Detroit Red Wings 2015 pick Vili Saarijarvi. Yes, of course, he had plenty of time in North America and now his rights belong to Arizona, but after 36 points for Lukko in 50 games last season, he’s currently chugging away with four goals and 15 points in 20 games this season. In short, it’s looking like a career year for the 24-year-old who was in action this past weekend for his national team.

Speaking of offensive defensemen, when directing our eyes towards the future, there’s no getting around Kasper Kulonummi, a 17-year-old who currently has 15 points in 19 games for Jokerit’s U20 program. It is of note seeing as how he had six assists at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and had a point in every game for his nation at a U18 outing this weekend.

As we continue looking westward, Sweden is once again providing the world with plenty to talk about at the U21 level. No team is more aware of this than the Detroit Red Wings. To begin, defenseman Simon Edvinsson has basically been the best U21 player in the country. Sure, his nine points and +7 in 16 games for Frolunda, a team always in the hunt for the championship, has been sweet, but we just can’t emphasize enough how solid he’s been in an all-round capacity. His understanding of his position and how to use his enormous body to his advantage is clearly beyond his years.

His teammate Elmer Soderblom is a giant at 6’8”, 238 lbs., and has seen his development take a considerable boost after what was already a strong 20-21 showing. He’s been getting first line minutes on a term with four solid lines, and it’s resulted in eight goals and 11 points in 19 games. There’s also first year SHLer Theodor Niederbach who has managed to stick with the big club through 19 games. His four points are nothing to write home about, but he’s showing a keen sense of doing what’s necessary to stick in the line-up and assume the role necessary in a line-up that is full of established offensive players.

And keeping in line with Frolunda, the Red Wings also drafted Liam Dower Nilsson, who has gotten into seven games (zero points) with the big club but has also chipped in 17 points in 14 U20 league games, so he too is right on track with his progression as he still looks to throw his name into the WJC team hat.

Then there are defensemen William Wallinder and Albert Johansson. Both are playing top four minutes of late for their SHL clubs Rögle and Färjestad, respectively. Wallinder has been very hot of late, having chipped in three goals and eight points in 16 games while Johansson has nine points in 17 games. Both have been showing plenty of the attributes that got them drafted and their upwards projection continues to have experts in the business looking at these guys as viable future NHLers.

That’s a lot of Swedish for one club, especially considering the Red Wings also have Jonatan Berggren doing just fine in his first season with the team’s AHL club (seven points in 10 games thus far).

But both the SHL and Allsvenskan are filled with plenty of other draftees and young men the NHL teams have their eyes on. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Pontus Holmgren (12 points) continues to be a strong contributor for Växjö, for whom he was the playoff MVP in last season’s championship run. Filip Cederqvist (BUF) and Linus Karlsson (VAN) are chugging along just fine with 11 points apiece, both having larger SHL roles than ever before. The same can be said for Calle Själin (NYR) and Ole Lycksell (PHI), but their 11 points are a little more special, as Själin is a defenseman and Lycksell has collected his in just 14 games.

When it comes to the Allsvenskan, we’d like to mention two defensemen in particular. One is Emil Andrae, a Flyers second rounder who is playing for HV71 this season, a team that has won 14 of 15 games and is on a concrete mission to gain its way back into the SHL. Andrae’s 13 points in 12 games has contributed to this endeavor thus far, even if Philadelphia would ideally like to see him suiting up for an SHL club. Then there’s Axel Bergkvist, who is playing for Mora and who’s rights belong to Arizona. He’s still just 21, has 13 points in 14 games, and is only two seasons removed from a 52-point year with Kitchener. He’s not tall, but well-built and we all know some guys are just late bloomers, so Bergkvist is one we’ll watch throughout the season.

Sweden’s 2022 draft watch has become very exciting as well, as just about all eyes have been on Djurgarden. Top prospects Liam Öhgren, Noah Östlund, and Jonathan Lekkermäki all did some major damage at the nation’s U20 level before getting a shot with the SHL club. Öhrgren has spent the most time in the bigs, collecting two points over 14 games. Östlund has gotten into seven games and Lekkermäki into three, both remaining pointless, but the latter has an impressive 16 goals and 25 points in just 16 U20 league games. Each is just 17-years old, and health and injuries will continue to play a role in just how much they play in the SHL, but that’s not looking like an issue for fellow 17-year-old Marco Kasper, the super Austrian who has four goals and six points in 16 contests for Rögle. His feat is quite impressive in light of the team’s role as a championship contender and in that it features a U20 outfit chock full of impressive players, including several who have already been drafted. We’d also like to mention that Kasper has six points in six CHL games for Rögle as well.

Not to be forgotten in all the hoopla around the 2022 prospects is the fact that 6’2”, 185 lbs. Leo Carlsson of Örebro has chalked up four points in 14 SHL games. He’s just 16 and first eligible for the 2023 draft. Will we see him suiting up for Sweden at the U18 worlds? His chances of being part of that outfit are very high.

Slavic revival

The Hlinka Gretzky Tournament this summer was a “case in point” in what some had been saying was on the way, namely that the Slovakian program had a special wave of players on the way up. Indeed, it’s looking so good that some in the region are reminiscing about the days when Peter Stastny and Zdeno Cigar were ushering in the Zigmund Palffys, Miro Satans, and Peter Bondras of the world, with the Marians Hossa and Gaborik soon to follow. There are several key reasons for this.

To begin, the 6’4”, 225 lbs. Juraj Slafkovsky has been trucking down a road to a top 10 selection for well over a year now. Sure, he’s got but three points in 14 Liiga games this season, but his 17 points in nine U20 league games as well as his six goals and nine points in five Hlinka Gretzky Tourney outings have shown him to be among the best anywhere in his age group. Scouts naturally love his size and jam, as Juraj isn’t one to take anyone’s crap. And why should he with a body like his? That he can do some playmaking and rocket off shots has got more than a few just licking their chops about the possibilities.

Behind him, albeit not all too far, are defenseman Simon Nemec, likely one of the top five defensemen available in this draft class, and forward Filip Mesar, who debuted for the Slovakian men’s team this past weekend at the Deutschland Cup. Both are 17, both are playing in Slovakia’s top men’s league, and both scored at over a PPG pace at the Hlinka Gretzky event. Also getting a long look this winter are Jakub Krizan, a left wing who is clipping at more than a PPG pace in the U18 and U20 leagues while having collected five points in nine second league games, and Alex Sotek, a right winger who has suited up for five different clubs in four different leagues but sticks out thanks to his nine goals and 34 points in just 18 U20 league games. Then there’s Adam Sykora, who hasn’t put up a whole lot of points this season (just four) but takes a fairly regular shift in Slovakia’s top league and is expected to make the WJC squad as a part of its defensive conscious.

All this is without even spending time on defenseman Jozef Kmec (Prince George Cougars) and center Servac Petrovsky (Owen Sound Attack), both of whom are doing just fine for their CHL clubs.

The fun naturally doesn’t stop there as the group of boys establishing themselves for the 2023 draft may even be more impressive. Defenseman Maxim Strbak is just 16 but honing his craft as a regular contributor in Finland’s U20 league. Winger Frantisek Ridzon has seen two games of action in both of Slovakia’s two highest pro circuits, but at 16 is making a laughingstock of the nation’s U20 league with 25 points in 16 games. One of his Nitra colleagues is Ondrej Molnar, who had six points at the Hlinka this summer, and has been the driving force of the Slovakian U18 squad that also plays in Slovakia’s second highest men’s league. Questionable is if any of them can really compare to Alex Ciernik, son of former part-time NHLer Ivan Ciernik, who is making serious noise with Södertälje’s U20 team, for which he’s got 21 points in 19 games. He too was a prime contributor at the Hlinka Gretzky Tournament (seven points) and has been playing in Sweden for the past four seasons.

Now, for the really astute among our readers, you’ll probably have noticed that nearly a dozen names have been provided here without a word about the most exciting, up-and-coming Slovak out there, namely Dalibor Dvorsky. Yep, we’re talking about the 16-year-old who had 12 points at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He’s the same kid who is second in scoring in Sweden’s U20 league with 27 points in 18 games. By the way, the leading scorer has two more points in two more games. Dvorsky’s feats have also led to two appearances with AIK’s men’s team, which plays in the Allsvenskan. This season is still young, so we really don’t know just what accomplishments Dvorsky will be capable of, but if he’d manage to lead the “J20 Nationell” in scoring, he’d be the youngest player ever to do so.

In light of all this, it’s a true shame that Slovakia’s U18 team isn’t even in the top IIHF group. Yep, the opportunity to gain promotion has been squashed two springs in a row by the worldwide pandemic. Nonetheless, insiders are already contemplating what Slovakia may be capable of doing at next spring’s D1A U18 event.

Some fans out there may be wondering what the big brother Czechs think of all this, considering they’ve continued to have the upper hand internationally for the better part of this decade. What we can definitely say is that righty shot defenseman David Jiricek is doing all he can to get himself into top 10 draft consideration. At 6’3”, the two-way rearguard has four goals and nine points in 20 games at the highest level in the Czech Republic. He’ll be returning to the WJC, probably with a letter on his chest, and one’s got to think that it’s a prime goal of his to outshine Nemec in gaining the better draft position. He’s certainly making that case in pro play this fall.

Tidbits from elsewhere

In Austria, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors (a U23 outfit) have started to pick things up in the professional league AlpsHL, where the kids for several nations - predominantly Austria and Germany - play against grown men. The start was a rough one, but there’s been an upswing in recent weeks and one of the highlights of this move up the standings has been 17-year-old Austrian Luca Auer, a righty shot forward who has 10 goals, 25 points, and a +18 in 18 games. For perspective, Danjo Leonhardt led the team in scoring last winter with 35 points in 32 games while Julian Lutz made headlines with his 13 goals, 26 points, and +13 in 31 games, granted as a 15- and 16-year-old. Auer has a motor and loves to drive the net. He’s also got a mid-July birthday, so you know where he's at draftwise.

It’s also been a while since Slovenia has provided the NHL world with a legitimate prospect, but one young man who is playing in Germany is doing his darndest to change that. Currently leading the Krefeld U23 side that plays in the Oberliga Nord, Germany’s third pro circuit, in scoring is forward Marcel Mahkovec. He’s got an impressive 5-12-17 in just 13 games and has also chipped in 6-9-15 in 8 games for the club’s DNL team. That he’s just 17 is what has many wondering just how high his prospects are? Compact and creative, Mahkovec has suited up 23 times for Slovenia’s U19 selects for various test games and tournaments, putting up 23 goals and 44 points in the process. Also look to see him on the nation’s men’s team, even if only at lower levels of international play.

Finally, we don’t spend a whole lot of time looking at overagers, or more specifically, kids who just aged out of the draft picture entirely, but we’d like to throw some light on two young men in Switzerland’s NL who you may want to keep in the back of your mind for down the road. One is 21-year-old defenseman Mika Henauer who is in his fourth season of pro hockey. He already gained our attention last year by becoming a top four option for Bern basically out of nowhere, putting up 3-14-17 in the process. He was one of the youngest regular blueliners in the league. After 22 games this season, he’s already collected 3-8-11 and continues to grow in importance for his team.

The other name we’d like to bandy about is that of Nando Eggenberger. Yes, you know it. The former Oshawa General once looked like a possible up-n-comer but fell off the map completely after a terrible 19-20 season. Now 22, he’s coming off his best season to date (12 goals in 50 NL games) and looking to put a whole new spin on things, already collecting 16 points in 21 games. To be certain, Eggenberger has a power forward body and can be difficult to handle along the boards and in the corners. The question has always been whether he’s going to start scoring at some point. He is on pace to blow away career highs and place his name into World Championship consideration for the Swiss side.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: DETROIT RED WINGS – RANK: #1 – TIER I

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:59:30 +0000

Detroit Red Wings

#1 Detroit - Now the deepest system in the game, there are four teams that don't have two prospects that would get into Detroit's top ten.

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 22: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) takes a shot during the second period of a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 22, 2019, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire)

Mortiz Seider

The sixth overall draft pick in the 2019 draft, Seider spent the 2020-21 season cementing his spot as one of the world’s top U23 players currently outside of the NHL. After an overall fantastic 2019-20 season with the Grand Rapid Griffins of the AHL, in which Seider - as an 18-year-old - was second on the team in defenseman scoring with 22 points while also having chipped in six assists in seven WJC games for Germany, the young defender put a new spin on his prospect status by taking on a top three role for Rögle BK of the Swedish SHL, usually paired with former NHLer Eric Gelinas. There, his continued growth in the offensive department coupled with his ever more solid defensive play and a highlight reel of spectacular hits led to him being named the SHL’s Defenseman of the Year and the SHL’s Top Junior Player, as decided by the Swedish-based website Eliteprospect. Not to be forgotten is that he also played in the SHL finals, where his club bowed out to eventual Swedish champion Växjö.

From there, Seider proceeded to join Team Germany for the Men’s World Championship in Latvia and only added to his already impressive accolades, being named the tournament’s top defenseman and earning a spot on the all-star team while playing a key role in seeing Germany finish fourth overall in the tournament. Physically mature despite his age, and a quiet displayer of unwavering confidence in his game, Seider is expected to suit up for the Red Wings next season after leaving few doubts about what he’s capable of at the highest levels outside of the NHL. As defensemen generally have a longer learning curve, he will surely make his share of mistakes along the way, but Seider has a strong shot at establishing himself as a top four NHL defenseman as soon as this upcoming season, perhaps even pairing up with newly acquired veteran Nick Leddy. Thanks to his strong physical build and iron lung, all indications are that he’s a star in the making for what should be a solid 15-year career at the NHL level. - CL

Lucas Raymond

Raymond is looking forward to playing on the North American ice as he is coming to the AHL (or NHL) after signing his ELC with the Wings. Having spent his whole career with Frölunda HC, the Göteborg native is going to play for a different club for the first time. Raymond is a high-caliber prospect, the fourth overall pick in the 2020 Draft, who confirmed a lot of expectations in the last season. He scored 18 points in 34 SHL games while playing on the third line, and his PPG was the highest of all U20 forwards not named William Eklund.

Raymond should benefit from being with the Griffins, getting used to the smaller ice and different style of play. He should fit into the league right away and should immediately get a top six role. He looked very good in the SHL, a league no weaker than the AHL, despite having a limited role. The Red Wings should be in no rush; Raymond has all the tools to become a top line forward. He has great hands, hockey IQ, and plays a well-rounded game. He is a bit undersized (5-10”) but fights for the puck very hard and should jump to the NHL after getting some time in the league a level below. Look for him to spend the majority of the year in the AHL, but if he plays well, he could earn a promotion by midseason. - MD

Simon Edvinsson

One of the draft’s most polarizing players, Edvinsson was an extremely intriguing prospect for the 2021 Draft. At 6’5 and over 200lbs, Edvinsson is a really big young man. However, he is also one of the best skating defenders outside of the NHL. This combines to give him an exciting physical tool set. Of course, what makes him polarizing is whether you believe that he has the vision and awareness to be a consistent offensive contributor, and subsequently a top pairing defender. Obviously, the Detroit Red Wings felt he did when making him the 6th overall selection.

As a mover, Edvinsson is both explosive moving forward and agile in all four directions. His linear speed and power make him a threat to go end to end, while Edvinsson can play aggressively defensively because of his quickness and comfort level moving laterally and backwards. Offensively, the majority of Edvinsson’s offense is created in transition because of his speed and ability to carve up the neutral zone. With open ice, Edvinsson looks dominant. As those openings collapse around him, his offensive game becomes more inconsistent because his vision and poise come into question. If he learns to make better decisions with the puck and continues to evolve as a physical player, he does have the potential to be one of the better defensemen in the NHL and a dominant two-way force. Even in a worst-case scenario, you have to hope that his size and mobility combination makes him a high-end defensive stalwart who can still play in your top four. He will continue his development in the SHL this coming season. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Sebastian Cossa

The 6’6 Edmonton Oil Kings stopper has been sensational for two straight WHL seasons, narrowly losing out on the Goaltender of the Year award this season to Calgary Flames prospect Dustin Wolf. Cossa only lost one game last season and his .941 save percentage (albeit in a small sample size) was third best all time in WHL history (six points back of Carter Hart’s remarkable 2018 season). The key to his success is his combination of size and athleticism. Obviously, at 6’6, Cossa takes up a large portion of the net. However, he is also very quick post to post and gets in and out of the butterfly quickly, allowing him to make difficult saves look easy. Far from a polished product, The Detroit Red Wings feel that Cossa has a chance to be among the very best in the NHL when his development is complete.

Like most larger goaltenders, Cossa will need to continue to develop as more of a goaltender, rather than a stopper. Currently he relies on a strong Edmonton defense to clear the crease for him, limiting second chance opportunities on the rebounds he puts back into the slot. At this point, Cossa has to be considered a lock for one of the spots on Team Canada at the next World Junior Championships, perhaps even the most likely starter. Cossa will also return to the WHL as the top contender for next year’s Goaltender of the Year. Like any netminder, patience will be required, but Cossa does have the potential to be an elite NHL player and perennial Vezina contender. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Jonatan Berggren

Berggren had a historically good season in 2020/21; he had the second highest number of assists by any U21 SHL forward ever. The only one who he was behind is a well-known world-class name – Henrik Sedin. Berggren is yet another Red Wings prospect who did really well in the domestic top league and should be coming to North America after signing his ELC. He is expected to start the season in the AHL but starting right away in Detroit is not unlikely. He might even crack the opening night roster.

Berggren has always been an elite playmaker and his last season proves he has elite level passing and vision. The Red Wings need talent and offensive skills; something Jonatan Berggren can provide them with. On the other hand, it's probably better for him to spend some time in the AHL to adjust to the North American game. He is not a prototypical “too small” player (5-11”, 183 lbs), but adding on some muscle and becoming stronger is rarely a bad thing to do. When Berggren gets used to the AHL, it will be interesting to watch his development and see if he is able to become a top six player, as projected. His great last season proves the Red Wings fans have an interesting prospect to look forward to. - MD

Albert Johansson

Johansson has been highly praised because of his smooth skating style, which sets him apart from most players. He is a mobile, modern two-way defenseman, who had a really good season in the Swedish highest league. Johansson had 19 regular season points in 44 matches and was a +15. He will continue his career in Sweden this season as he is loaned to Färjestad BK for 2021-22. It is undoubtedly a good move; Johansson needs to spend some time in the European men´s league to build more muscle and become stronger to be a difference maker in North America. However, there is a lot to like about him. His skillset should make him a top four defenseman in the NHL.

As a 20-year-old, Albert Johansson even had his debut on the Swedish Men's National Team. He had a really successful season, apart from his point production, as he was getting a lot of minutes each night and really adapted to the pro game. The next season is going to be his third in the SHL. After one more, we can expect him to fly overseas to get a shot with the Red Wings. It is not certain he will be instantly ready to become an NHL player, but he has a great chance to fit into the league well in the future. - MD

Joe Veleno

The career arch of Veleno has been captivating thus far. The former exceptional status player in the QMJHL was able to play in the AHL a year early in 2019/20, because he had accrued enough service time in the CHL already. That first pro season had its ups and downs but did include a gold medal at the World Juniors with Canada. This past season, Veleno secured a loan in the SHL with Malmo to start the year, with his 20 points being seventh among U21 players in the Swedish men’s league. He then finished the season splitting time between Grand Rapids (AHL) and Detroit, scoring his first career NHL goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Five years ago, the hype on Veleno was significant. He was being touted as the next potential superstar in the NHL. While it seems unlikely that he will reach that status now, he still brings enough to the table to be a long time NHL center. Veleno’s playmaking ability and puck control are real assets, and he has worked hard to round out other components to his game. This season he should secure a full-time role with the Wings, likely as a third- or-fourth-line center, and does have a chance to be a high end middle six forward in the future. - BO

Jared McIsaac

Injuries have not been kind to McIsaac thus far, delaying the development of the former 36th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. Two seasons ago, he suffered a right shoulder injury after returning from the World Junior Championships that required surgery and put an end to his final QMJHL season. Last season, after securing a loan with HPK in Liiga (Finland), he suffered an injury to his left shoulder, again requiring surgery. He was able to return for a few AHL games at the end of the season, but the last two years have really clouded his future potential in a crowded Wing’s system.

McIsaac does still project as a steady two-way defender. He may not have the innate puck skill or creativity to be a top-notch point producer, but he makes sound decisions at both ends and has the plus mobility you need for today’s NHL game. The question is, have these injuries really hampered his confidence level and affected his ability to compete physically in the defensive end? The key this year is to stay healthy. He needs a full season at the AHL level, to regain his form and get his development back on track. With a couple of good seasons, McIsaac could push for a spot on Detroit and does still have a chance to be a solid #4. - BO

Theodor Niederbach

An extremely smart playmaker didn't show much of his offensive skills in the Swedish highest league last season, scoring five points (3+2) in 20 regular season games. However, he was loaned to the second league (Allsvenskan) after the World Juniors. The move has proven to be beneficial; Niederbach received consistently more ice time and his productivity rose to nine points in fifteen matches. Frölunda even recalled him back to the team before the SHL play-offs.

The 19-year-old center or winger should spend the next season in his top tier home league. He still needs to prove himself at the men´s level, but after a couple of good years in Sweden, he should be heading to North America. Overall, the Red Wings have yet another Swedish prospect they can be excited about. Niederbach has an exceptional hockey IQ. He's a great passer and his overall offensive skills are on a high level. On the other hand, he needs to add a couple of pounds – he's currently 5-11”, 172 lbs. The good thing is, he has improved a lot in many areas of his game throughout the last season – his skating, physical play or defensive game. If he continues in the same way, it´s not impossible that we´ll see him in the NHL in a short amount of time. - MD

Shai Buium

A native San Diegan, Buium went from the Los Angeles Jr. Kings program to Shattuck St. Mary’s, and this year made the switch to the USHL, where he played a pivotal and expanding role for Sioux City. His acclimation to the USHL wasn’t immediate, as he started off playing a depth role, with 10-15 of ice time per game. Towards mid-February, his ice time started creeping north of 20 minutes per game regularly, and the offensive contributions followed.

Speaking of those offensive contributions, whether the increased ice time had a similar effect on his confidence, or he was asked to give it more in the offensive zone, he began to demonstrate how his quick hands could help push the pace offensively, keeping control of the puck and driving play from the blueline. You might not guess it by his slightly heavy feet, but most of his USHL goals came when he lowered his shoulder and drove from the point down to the paint. Headed to the University of Denver, his upside is something along the lines of a Jake Muzzin as a blueliner who can shut things down in his own end without extraneous violence, and quietly contribute to the offensive side of things. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Antti Tuomisto

A big right shot defender and former high second round pick by Detroit, Tuomisto had a strong freshman season with the University of Denver last year. Still a long-term project, Tuomisto does project as a potential top four defender because of his high end skill, big point shot, and blossoming physical tools.

Eemil Viro

Viro, a 2020 selection, is a strong skating two-way defender who is coming off a strong first full season in Liiga with TPS. TPS ended up finishing second in league playoffs, with Viro playing a large role. He will return to Finland this season on loan and hopes to establish himself as one of the top young defenders in the country.

Donovan Sebrango

With the OHL on hiatus, Sebrango spent the full year in Grand Rapids and played a regular role for the Griffins as an 18/19-year-old. Sebrango is already a competitive defensive player, but he does possess more offensive upside than his production in the last two years would indicate. The Wings can actually assign him to the AHL again this season if they want to, rather than return him to Kitchener of the OHL.

Robert Mastrosimone

Mastrosimone is a skilled goal scoring winger whose production thus far at the NCAA level has been underwhelming with Boston University. Now entering his junior season, the time is now for him to take that step forward as a prominent college player, otherwise he runs the risk of losing favour in such a strong prospect pool.

William Wallinder

The 32nd overall pick in 2020, Wallinder’s development has been slow thus far. Drafted as a project because of his elite physical tools, Detroit knew that they would need to be patient with him. Switching to the Rogle program this season, the Wings will be looking for him to take that next step as an SHL regular.

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Can Sweden Overcome the Huge Hurdles?

Jimmy Hamrin — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:00:39 +0000

Can Sweden overcome the hurdles?

Team Sweden or “juniorkronorna” as they are called in Sweden are always a competitive team at World Juniors, and this year is no exception. Usually the pre-tournament talk is on their remarkable round robin winning streak and how stacked they are at defense. This is, as you all know, a very different year. An evil tongue might call the Swedes “juniorCORONArna” this year instead with all that has happened this fall and during the camp.

Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond of Sweden against Santeri Tatakka of Finland during the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship bronze medal game between Sweden and Finland on January 5, 2020 in Ostrava.
Photo: Simon Hastegård / BILDBYRÅN /

The COVID-situation:
Sweden is, like the whole world, having a tough time with the virus. I am not going into a political discussion here of which government has been right and which has been wrong as Sweden has had a different strategy than many other western countries. But, as of now, Sweden is struggling. Therefore there are many people here in Sweden thinking it is madness to send these young players across the globe to play at the WJC. To some part, I, of course, agree. The tournament is not THAT important. To another degree I am very happy that this tournament is going to be played. I also think that the NHL showed that you can have a safe bubble if you keep everything strict. As the team now are in that bubble I truly hope for a safe and entertaining tournament. In our lockdowns (yes, we have restrictions in Sweden too) a bit of high value entertainment like the World Juniors will give us a well needed distraction.

Sweden’s preparations have not been without pandemic issues though. They were supposed to play Finland in November but during the first gameday they had to call it off due to a positive COVID-test from a member of the Swedish team. In December they put together a 34-man roster to go into a training camp bubble before the tournament. That ended up with four players (William Eklund (2021), William Wallinder (DET), Karl Henriksson (NYR) and Albin Grewe (DET)) getting ejected from the camp with positive COVID-results. Added to that, FIVE individuals from their management group were infected with COVID and that has reduced them heavily as they will not be able to send other coaches or leaders to the bubble. Sweden’s head coach Tomas Montén is one of the leaders that had to stay behind. He will need to lead his team from his home in Sweden. Joel Ronnmark, an inexperienced 30 year, old will be team’s head coach in Edmonton.

The roster selection:

I was not a happy man when Sweden finalized its roster. The big guns in goal, at defense and up front are all in, of course. But the way they chose the bottom of the roster irritates me. The biggest and most surprising cut was defenseman Helge Grans (LAK). He is a power play player at the SHL level and would be a top 4 defenseman for most other countries in the tournament. He is also capable of playing other roles and is an all-around smart defenseman. New for this tournament is that you can have a bigger roster. So that they picked eight defenseman and could not find a spot for Grans cannot be rationally explained. Keep in mind that Grans is a right handed defenseman and six of the eight defensemen picked are left handed.

I also would have wanted Sweden to give Simon Edvinsson (2021) a shot. He is already a better player than at least three of the picked defensemen. I guess that Sweden is looking at roles and picking players to play a specific role and I get that idea but you also have to look at how capable the better offensive defenseman is at playing a defensive role if needed. It is not that guys such as non-drafted players Ludvig Hedstrom and Alex Brannstam are defensive monsters. They can both have trouble defending their own junior teams at times. Up front, I would have liked to see Daniel Ljungman (DAL) getting a spot. The smart center/winger is useful in many situations but also has strong offensive weapons.

An overall assessment of the team:
Sweden will not have as strong of a team as Canada, Russia and USA have on paper. The strong parts of this Swedish team are the goalies, the top defenseman and the offensive star power of Lucas Raymond (DET) and Alexander Holtz (NJD). Losing out on Karl Henriksson will make a weak team down the middle even weaker. Losing out on William Eklund will make it harder to find three or even two productive lines for the big games. It sounds like they are playing Theodor Niederbach as the top center and that could be exciting. I am not sure that it will be beneficial for the whole roster to have offensively gifted right-hand shooters on the same line though.

I am not capable of projecting how big of an impact the reduced management team will have, but if they can overcome all of the hurdles and bring home a bronze medal, that would be a successful tournament outcome for this team. I think the roster is competitive and on paper they should be one of the teams in a semifinal. It will also be interesting if Sweden will have an advantage in that their players actually played real games during the fall in comparison to the North American teams where many players have not played at all since March.

Top 10 to watch:

10 - Noel Gunler W (CAR)
The polarizing goal scorer is finally getting a chance to show himself at a major international event. Gunler will have a big part on a second scoring line and get a chance on the power play. He did not receive increased ice time with Lulea at the start of the season and fell in the draft but has had a better opportunity since he changed his SHL team. I am predicting that he will score at least 4 goals at this tournament.

9 - Theodor Niederbach C (DET)
Niederbach is not the fastest player but he is one of the smartest on this Swedish roster. He has absolutely dominated the Swedish junior league with 35 points in 19 games. He will get a chance to play on the top line with Raymond and Holtz and that will give him a good chance to produce big points in this tournament. His biggest strength is finding open spots in the offensive zone and taking advantage of them. He can both set up and score goals and he will complement the stars well.

8 - Tobias Bjornfot D (LAK)
Bjornfot has not had an impressive season so far. After a good season in North America he has not been able to earn a leading role on his SHL team. He is a strong player at both ends of the ice and has the tools you need to become a regular NHL defenseman. He will crack the LA roster sooner than later. Here he will not be a primary power play guy but I expect him be defensively strong in important situations and be a strong puck mover from the back end.

7 - Hugo Alnefelt G (TBL)
I do not know how Sweden will play their goalies this year as they have two potential starters. For that reason, I do not see Alnefelt as the best choice but when you look at international experience he has always come through for Sweden. He was one of Sweden’s most valuable players in the U18 gold-medal winning squad in 2019 and the U20 bronze in 2020. He is a composed and calm goalie with a strong all-around game. He would be the easier choice as the players and coaches all know what they will get from him and they trust him.

6 - Philip Broberg D (EDM)
Broberg is a somewhat polarizing player as well. He still has visual flaws in his defensive game and still is a year or two from being ready to play in the NHL. The ceiling is hard to deny though with big reach and exploding speed. In SHL action, he started well but has had a rough last month with more mistakes defensively and less offensive production. He was the best defenseman at the U18 WJC in 2019 but was up-and-down at the U20 WJC in 2020. Sweden will need him to be as dominant as he was at the U18s where he closed things down defensively with his reach and pushed the offensive attack with his skating and puck skills.

5 - Albert Johansson D (DET)
The most underrated Swedish prospect. Johansson has been nothing but excellent for two seasons in the SHL and seems to have improved with every game I have seen him play. He is a smart, humble, hard-working two-way defenseman who skates fast and with ease. He has grown of late but I have always felt that Detroit got a steal picking him 60^th overall in 2019. He will probably not play the power play but will push the play and be a reliable player at even strength as a top 4 defenseman.

4 - Jesper Wallstedt G (2021)
As a 17/18-year-old goalie Wallstedt has been impressive in SHL and will probably finish the season as the starter for his team in playoffs. He has elite hockey sense. I have not seen a Swedish goalie that can read the play the way that he can in a very long time. He is not as athletically spectacular as Yaroslav Askarov but he is more consistent as he always seem to be in a good spot to make an easy save. I would want him to be Sweden’s starter and he probably will at least get one of the earlier games either way.

3 - Victor Soderstrom D (ARI)
Soderstrom was one of Sweden’s best defenseman already last year and will be a THE guy this year. Concerningly he has been suffering with injuries so I do not know what the state his body will be in as the tournament starts. Hockey sense is the right-handed defenseman’s best tool. He moves well and reads the game very well. He is maybe not as exciting as Broberg but he is more consistent and reliable. He will be one Sweden’s most important players and will soon be ready to play in the NHL.

2 - Alexander Holtz W (NJD)
As a 17-year-old he scored five points last year in a third line (with PP-time) role. He has the potential to double that this year as he will be playing in a top line role and starting every power play and getting a lot of offensive zone starts. The shooter has been improving at the SHL level this season and has also been producing at a higher rate. He looks more physically mature than he did in his rookie season. I believe he will be ready the play in the NHL at the start of the 21/22 season. Holtz plays a good two-way game and has one the best shots in the whole tournament. That will be a strong weapon for Sweden in important situations in important games.

1 - Lucas Raymond W (DET)
I would have wanted to see even more production from Raymond in the SHL but Frolunda is a weird organization that way. They play four almost evenly matched lines and play them 12-17 minutes per game. Raymond plays 14 minutes per game and is still not their top go-to-guy. For this tournament though, he will be for Sweden. He is a high event player with impressive hockey sense and puck skills. He will drive Sweden’s offense and be both goal scorer and an offensive creator. Sweden’s success will be most reliant on Raymond’s play as he also is a player that needs to be good for other players to succeed.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

2021 World Junior Championship: Hamrin’s Swedish World Junior Roster

Jimmy Hamrin — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 17:15:31 +0000

In these weird times for hockey it is great to see that the World Junior Championships actually will be held this season and to a large degree with the ten participating nations bringing their strongest possible teams, with only a few notable exclusions currently anticipated. Canada will send a supreme team. USA has their 2001 powerhouse age group that dominated the 2019 NHL Draft. Russia recently won a senior national team’s tournament with their U20 team. And I am going to look into Sweden’s U18 WJC gold medal winners, and suggest my roster before Sweden actually announce theirs on December 3^rd.

First off, even if many of Sweden’s players who won the U18 are playing, they will not have a team that, on paper, should be able to beat USA, Canada AND Russia for a gold medal in this tournament. Last year’s result, finishing with a bronze medal, would be a respectable result again considering the competition. Sweden will be competitive with good goalies, top class defense and high-end wingers. Sweden’s weak position is at center where they lack a top elite talent.

Goalies

Hugo Alnefelt (TBL) was a strong starter already last season, being named Best Goalie in the tournament, and he was strong when they won at the U18s too. If he gets to start in this tournament as well comes down to how much the younger Jesper Wallstedt (2021) has closed in on him or has even surpassed him at this point. They both play at the SHL level and so far, Wallstedt clearly has outplayed Alnefelt. Wallstedt has saved 92% of the shots he has faced and 91% of the shots from the scoring area. Alnefelt has played a bit more but has much worse numbers, with 90% of the shots saved and 86% from the scoring area. If we deep dive into those numbers, we can see that Alnefelt has the better or similar numbers in almost all areas except from near range where Alnefelt saves 72% versus Wallstedt’s 83%. We will also need take into fact that Wallstedt plays on a stronger team (Lulea) at the top of the league while Alnefelt’s HV71 has struggled. Wallstedt has faces 26 shots per game while Alnefelt faced 31 shots per game. Wallstedt has a lower xG per game figure though and the goals he has let in has a higher xG value than Alnefelt’s.

That sums up my mind that the net should be Jesper Wallstedt’s to lose in this tournament if we look at the current season. That said, coaches rarely picks the starter only by the rationality of stats on single digit games. Alnefelt has had strong performances every time he has been chosen internationally and that should be accounted for and will be in his favour as Wallstedt has not had that opportunity yet (U18 got cancelled last spring).

My pick for a starter still will be Jesper Wallstedt. He is the best Swedish goalie prospect I have seen in at least a decade and his hockey sense is truly something special. Picking the third goalie I think you should go with a player who will be available next year, too, and my pick will therefore be Calle Clang (PIT) who has played in Allsvenskan with strong numbers so far. The only other junior goalie playing senior hockey in the top levels (SHL and Allsvenskan) is undrafted 19-year-old Matteus Ward.

Defenseman

Victor Soderstrom (ARI), Philip Broberg (EDM), Tobias Bjornfot (LAK) and Albert Johansson (DET) are no-brainers. These are the clear top 4. Johansson may surprise some, but he is looking like a tremendous pick by the Red Wings in 2019. He skates fast and has come further in adapting his game to senior level than both Broberg and Bjornfot. Broberg has the highest ceiling of the bunch and has the potential for a monster tournament. Soderstrom will probably be the most reliant defenseman of the team with his outstanding hockey IQ.

After those four it becomes more interesting.

If we start with the 2001 born players: Albert Lyckasen (BUF) has had a rough start to his season and left his Allsvenskan club in october after being cut from the team and sent down to third senior league. He has only played 3 games all season. For that reason, he will be counted out for my roster. Ludvig Hedstrom and Alex Brannstam have been regularly picked for this team over the years. Neither are drafted and they are non-flashy defensive defensemen. They both play for Djurgarden and of the two, Brannstam has played more on the SHL team with 5 games and an average of 06:30 TOI. They both have a shot of being that non-sexy defensive defenseman that coaches want for their roster. I see better options for that though. Another option here could be Gustav Berglund (DET). He plays regularly in Allsvenskan. He has been stable but has not earned a big role on the team playing around 14 minutes per game. He is a big and mobile defenseman with some good puck skills but has not provided much offense yet at the senior level. I do not see him as a strong candidate for WJC.

The 2002 age group muster up some exciting names. Among others, the recent NHL Draft had William Wallinder (DET), Helge Grans (LAK) and Emil Andrae (PHI) selected and they could make waves. Wallinder has been up and down, playing in Allsvenskan. His team has struggled, and he has been occasionally sent down to the junior team. He has his size and impressive mobility but still has much to learn about how to use those traits effectively. Grans started the season impressively and put up 6 points in the SHL, but his team has also struggled and are at bottom of standings and he has been sidelined (unfairly in my opinion) for games, too. He bring size, mobility, and strong passing ability. He should have a strong chance to earn a spot on the team. Andrae has also earned a spot on an SHL team. His ice time has varied from 6 - 20 minutes per game. He has not been spectacular but has handled himself well for an 18-year-old in his first season at the top level. He usually is more involved but plays more of a safe game now to stay on the team.

I would also advocate for one 2003 born defenseman and that is Simon Edvinsson (2021). He has been amazing in the junior league and has now come up and played a few games in the SHL. He is 6-5” with speed and skill. He is strong both offensively and defensively. He would be a great 7^th defenseman who can come in and stir things up.

All things considered, I will go for Victor Soderstrom, Philip Broberg, Tobias Bjornfot, Albert Johansson, and Helge Grans as locks. For the last two spots, Emil Andrae and Simon Edvinsson get the advantage for me. They are the most skilled players with the puck, and I think the team has strong defensive ability in the five guys named as locks to choose these options.

Forwards

Let’s start with the obvious names here. Lucas Raymond (DET) and Alexander Holtz (NJD) will be the offensive drivers for this team. They were the difference makers as underagers in the U18 gold medal and they were both contributors to the U20 bronze medal team already last season. The biggest question now is whether to keep them together on the same line or split them into two lines. The reason that has even come up as a question as they always have played together with success before is the fact that Holtz is playing with William Eklund (2021) in Djurgarden. Eklund (a probable first round pick) has taken the SHL by storm and that line (with former NHLer Jacob Josefsson in the middle) has been the team’s best line. Internationally Holtz and Raymond have had Karl Henriksson (NYR) to center their line and he is also an obvious inclusion to this roster. The smart hard-working center complements the two well. So how to solve this?

I would actually split Raymond and Holtz. I would keep Henriksson as Raymond’s center as they have played together more often historically, as both play for Frolunda. I will give Holtz and Eklund a strong two-way center like Albin Sundsvik (ANA). 6-2” Sundsvik is playing his second season as an SHL regular and although not a flashy player he would complement Holtz and Eklund fine. Raymond and Henriksson will need a new shooter to their line, and I can see Noel Gunler (CAR) fitting that profile well. Gunler has changed SHL teams since the draft and feels more confident on the ice again. At this level he will be a dangerous player having Raymond and Henriksson driving the play.

If Sweden is to succeed, they will also need some scoring depth in their bottom six with forwards who can take spots on the power play as well. Two players who I want to see get picked here are Theodor Niederbach (DET) and Oskar Olausson (2021). Both have been dominating in the junior league, Niederbach with 35 points in 19 games and Olausson with 27 points in 16 games. Also notable is that Olausson has gotten off to a strong start in SHL with 3 points in 7 games while averaging 8 min/game TOI. With Niederbach playing center the third player I would want for this line is 2019 first rounder Simon Holmstrom (NYI). He has not exceeded his development yet and took a questionable path by playing in the AHL at 18 last season. He has played in Allsvenskan this fall and has not impressed hugely there, either. All in all, he has a lot of potential and skill to use in this tournament.

That leaves only four spots for this group of 13 forwards and there are a lot of options to choose from. For the physical aspect, players like Emil Heineman (FLA) and Albin Grewe (DET) would do the job well and they also have some scoring touch to their game. Looking just at size and puck protection, players like Elmer Soderblom (DET) or Daniel Torgersson (WPG) would be good fits. All the four fit betters as wingers than centers in my opinion so to find a center for the fourth line I would look for either Arvid Costmar (VAN) or Daniel Ljungman (DAL). They both play on the same team and there Costmar is given more trust and he also has been used regularly on the PK for Linkoping’s SHL team. Costmar is more of a skilled player but he has shown that he can handle that role as well which will give him an edge here. I would not count out undrafted 2001 borns like Elias Ekstrom, Oskar Kvist or Jonathan Wikstrom for the final roster. All three have played SHL hockey this fall. In the roster for a since cancelled November event, 2003 born Simon Robertsson (2021) was picked for the team. He is a physically mature player but more of a goal scorer than a bottom six option for me. Maybe he could be the 13 forward to start.

Going back and forth, I believe I would pick Heineman over Grewe. Heineman is stronger and more mature in his game. I would pick Costmar over Ljungman, not long-term but for this tournament as I see him as being ahead as he has more experience at a higher level and has performed well this fall. I would also go with Elmer Soderblom in the 12^th spot. A 6-7” forward who can skate and handle the puck will be beneficial in the North American rink and give opponents some trouble in handling him. Then for the 13^th spot I would pick Daniel Ljungman over Grewe, Torgersson or any of the others mentioned. Ljungman can play both center and wing and is a smart player with a good shot who can be used well on a power play or in a shootout.

MY TEAM:

Goal:
Jesper Wallstedt - 02 (Hugo Alnefelt -01 and Calle Clang -02)

Defensive pairings:

Albert Johansson -01 – Victor Soderstrom -01
Philip Broberg -01 – Tobias Bjornfot -01
Emil Andrae -02 – Helge Grans -02
Simon Edvinsson -03

Forward lines:

Lucas Raymond -02 – Karl Henriksson -01 – Noel Gunler -01
William Eklund -02 – Albin Sundsvik -01 – Alexander Holtz -02
Simon Holmström -01 – Theodor Niederbach -02 – Oskar Olausson -02
Elmer Soderblom -01 – Arvid Costmar -01 – Emil Heineman -01
Daniel Ljungman -02

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Detroit Red Wings Top 20 Prospects

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:21:25 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Detroit Red Wings prospects for the 2020-21 season. You can read an organizational assessment prior to the draft in Ryan Wagman's article found here. Following the draft we provided a review on each teams performance based on our rankings found here.

Lucas Raymond, RW/LW (4^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

While he had a hard time showing off what he could do in the SHL playing under 10 minutes per game, Raymond has electricity. Playing against opponents around his own age, opposing coaches have to game plan around him. He dictates the flow of the game, never rushing the play when he has the puck. An efficient, technically strong skater with a great stutter step to pick up speed, he keeps his feet moving until the pieces fall into place for him to execute his plan. He is creative and unpredictable, changing his pace to force opponents off-balance and into mistakes. Raymond is also surprisingly physical for his size, with a long, active and strong stick. He has near-elite potential as a playmaker, forcing defenders to their heels, making plays through passes lanes that he pries open with dangles, toe drags and other assorted trickery – all at top speed, too. Although best known for his puck skills, he is a gifted finisher as well, with a fantastic wrist shot and a pretty one-timer, both of which he can get off while unbalanced. One more year in Sweden, playing heavier minutes in the SHL, is what separates Raymond from NHL readiness. – RW

Moritz Seider, D (6^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

After one year in North America, Seider has shown that he is absolutely worth the hype associated with a top-ten selection. One of the most polished teenage players in the recent history of the AHL, the big rearguard’s game is predicated upon smarts, two-way excellence, and physicality. He required minimal adjustment when he crossed the ocean. Capable of eating heavy minutes against the top opposing forward line, he is adept at positioning his stick and using his length to shut down high-danger shot and pass angles. He is supremely competitive and can be a pest to play against. A smooth skater, his lateral mobility and speed are incredibly impressive for someone his size. A power play quarterback with Grand Rapids last season, his offensive instincts allow him to slide passes onto his teammates’ stick blades with ease. Although he can be a bit aggressive with his puck movement, he has the mobility and defensive refinement to back track if needed. Seider is a near-term number-one defenseman who could be one of the top blueliners in the world in his prime, a two-way force to be reckoned with. - TD

Albert Johansson, D (60^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Johansson showed steady development last season, earning a regular spot in the SHL. A smart two-way defenseman who reads the play and plays with both poise and finesse, his transition to senior hockey went smoothly as the additional structure suited him. He played a bigger role on a strong team during the season. His offensive game is borderline elite, and he could emerge as a strong offensive contributor, even though his shot is not strong, and his stickhandling is good, not great. Johansson’s passing and hockey sense are his best attributes. He is also a smooth skater, who doesn’t use much energy to maintain his high pace. He can make quick turns and gets up to speed quickly, making him an ideal puck carrier. His shot selection is okay, but he needs some work on his accuracy, even if the power never comes. Defensively, he reads the play well, playing with aggression and good gap control. He is not in any way a liability but plays a good team game with sound decision-making. He is expected to spend one more season in Sweden before moving to North America and he projects as a solid top four defenseman prospect. – JH

Theodor Niederbach, C (51^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

After missing the entirety of 2018-19 to osteochondritis, Neiderbach blew through the U18 level in 14 games and finish tied for tied for ninth in scoring in Sweden’s top junior league. He is physically unassuming, and he can play a bit soft. Another area needing improvement is in his skating, which might be a by-product of the aforementioned knee injury, as his skating and footwork both notably improved as last season progressed. Niederbach’s prospect status is reliant on his high-end skills and smarts. He has a good wrist shot, too, but he truly shines as a playmaker. His comfort zone is down low, from behind the net and along the boards up to around the faceoff dot. He is masterful at finding open teammates, as well as maneuvering to get himself open. He overcomes his average speed through impressive anticipation, giving him a head start to get correctly positioned. His play is unpredictable, providing confidence that he will continue succeeding once he starts playing against men, first in Sweden, and soon in North America. Niederbach has top six upside. – RW

Robert Mastrosimone, LW (54^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Mastrosimone may have been outshined by fellow freshman Trevor Zegras during his rookie season at BU, but he has skills of his own to appreciate. He may not have been a prolific scorer in his first season but was still able to contribute including cementing a spot on the power play. Hockey sense and skating are his best attributes. He isn’t the fastest, but he still has speed, skates smoothly and seemingly never stops moving, with his motor making up for whatever his feet may lack. He also has great vision and a sixth sense for knowing where his teammates will be. He has slick and soft hands and is adept at corralling passes, even if they are unruly. He can struggle against more physical opponents who can too easily push him off the puck, but he is not afraid to use his body. With added bulk, this shortcoming could yet subside. He is creative — sometimes too creative, but it is better for him to try than to stifle his creativity. Mastrosimone has time to solidify his game and improve his size and defensive ability. He projects to be an energy forward with skill at his peak despite his stature. - JS

Joe Veleno, C (30^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

While Veleno’s rookie pro season with a young, struggling Grand Rapids Griffins was not overly impressive, he showed just what his game can and will be at the NHL level. A smart and skilled centerman with tremendous puck-handling ability, the 20-year-old was as dangerous as a distributor as he was as a shooter. Capable of slowing the game down with the puck and finding the right place to put it, his instincts allow him to command play offensively and put defenders on their heels. He covers the ice well as a skater, with his hunchbacked style which makes him hard to push off, coupled with high-level acceleration, and he is a superb backchecker who kills penalties and can end plays in the defensive zone with his physical aggression. With no real flaws in his game and a mature presence at a young age, he projects as a top-six, two-way center. He will need to show off his offensive upside with more regular, consistent appearances on an AHL scoresheet to make his jump to the NHL. – TD

Jonatan Berggren, LW/RW (33^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Berggren has had two tough seasons since being drafted 33rd in 2018. He looked good last season but saw his season end early due injury and he has only played about 40% of the games over the last two seasons in SHL. This has, of course, slowed his development but before his season-ending injury in January he had earned himself a 15 minute per game role for Skelleftea. He is a small winger with strong skating and work ethic. He has strong lower-body balance and elite speed. His skating technique is excellent. His offensive game relies greatly on his skating even if he has good puck skills. He is at his best on the rush and needs to work on his game when the game is standing still. He is a good playmaker but could work on his shot. He only scored four goals last season and all of them were within a meter from the goal crease. A middle six prospect who will need at least one more full year in Sweden before stepping over to North America. – JH

Jared McIsaac, D (36^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

McIsaac has a ton of offensive potential, can control a game from the back end with his skating and puck moving abilities, and he can hit like a freight train. His shot has eyes and is very powerful from the point. He adds a ton of positive skills to the blueline of any team; he can carry a pairing, he can play as a puck rusher or a stay-at-home type, he is solid along the boards and at keeping pucks in at the point. The main weakness in his game, aside from injuries, is the consistency in his decision-making, a problem that has followed him throughout his junior career. He can grow out of this and mature into a very reliable defender, as the skillset is there. Additionally, he needs to fill out to strengthen his two-way projections. McIsaac was easily one of the most talented defensemen in the QMJHL the past three seasons, and has a long pro career ahead of him, if he can avoid additional injuries which have cut short both last season and the current one. Few prospects can fully recover from tis much lost development time. - MS

Antti Tuomisto, D (35^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Tuomisto was by far the best defenseman in the Finnish U20 league in the past season. He was also named the best player in the league altogether. He logged quality minutes and played in all situations for Ässät and was a huge part of the team’s strong season. The University of Denver commit is a breakout machine and excels in offensive transitions. He shows a lot of patience with the puck and has the poise to look for a good passing lane instead of making a hasty decision. His vision is very good, and he shows offensive imagination as well. Although he could be quicker and more explosive from a standstill, he moves pretty well given his large frame. He battles hard and does not shy away from contact but could use his size more effectively to his advantage. His development curve is heading straight up as he has developed immensely over the last two seasons. Tuomisto has the tools to make an impact in college right away. - MB

William Wallinder, D (32^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Looking strictly at his straight-ahead speed, there might not have been a better skater in the 2020 draft class, without even considering his 6-4” frame. Wallinder has some wiggle to his game, but he shines when rushing up the ice on a fast break. The speed will ensure that he plays professionally for a long time and gets more than a few opportunities to play at the NHL level, but he needs to improve every other aspect of his game to do more than tease. His decision making is very hit-or-miss. He can move the puck well enough, but is error-prone in own zone coverage, including defending too passively, too often, although that has improved of late. Wallinder has the physical tools to be very difficult to play against, but he can often come across as soft. Even his work from the point is raw and his shot is unrefined and not all that impressive. Wallinder has a lot of experience playing above his age group, and it is possible he has been pushed too far, too fast, as many of our concerns trace back to poor instincts. Detroit will need to be extra patient with him. – RW

Donovan Sebrango, D (63^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Like Wallinder above, Sebrango has mobility in spades. A competent and fluid four-way skater, he excels at both ends of the rink. He can lead or join the rush as an attacker with a strong first few strides, and his lateral mobility allows him to walk the line effectively, opening up lanes on the powerplay. His backward/forward transitions allow him to be quick to dump-ins or to start the breakout. His gap control is also strong as he stays with oncoming attackers. Sebrango is also a strong defensive presence because he plays with intensity and is fully engaged physically. If he cannot beat you to a puck, he will look to play the body and pin you to the wall, stopping momentum. He will also take away space from forwards near his net and makes opponents pay the price through the middle, as he plays much bigger than his size. Currently stronger in his own end, he flashes powerplay QB skills and puck moving, however he can seem hesitant to take chances. As he gains confidence, his upside with gain clarity, but as-is, he still projects as a quality versatile third pairing defender. – BO

Eemil Viro, D (70^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

In the last year, Viro has climbed from Finland’s second tier junior league to Liiga, playing against men. Despite his meagre point totals up with TPS’ senior team, he is very much an offensive-minded defenseman with prominent high-end mobility. His first few steps are very quick, and he excels when carrying the puck up the ice. He is also a strong and accurate passer, including impressive long-bomb breakout passes. This is also reflective of his hockey IQ and ability to read the game. Viro’s work off the puck also speaks favorably to his smarts, playing with a tight gap, well-positioned in in his own zone, and robust in front of his own net. There are still some holes in Viro’s game. His reads can be choppy, such as when he tries to force a play, resulting in an unnecessary turnover. He needs to add muscle to be more effective, despite strong balance. He presently relies too much on his stick and good angling for defensive plays, struggling in physical encounters. His point shot is mediocre. He can find a lane and get the puck on the net but isn’t a scoring threat. He needs time to complete his physical maturity. – RW

Cross Hanas, LW (55^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Hanas made waves last year because he scored two lacrosse goals. He routinely makes defenders look silly with his silky hands He is dynamic in transition because he skates well, handles the puck confidently at full speed, and is not afraid of playing through traffic. This aggressive approach makes him a fun player to watch. In general, he is a very well-rounded offensive player who can break down defensive coverage and create plays for his linemates, or finish off his own scoring chances. Hanas desperately needs to add strength. Consistency was an issue last year, specifically stringing together a prolonged hot streak. He was held to under one shot in over one third of Portland’s games and held pointless in nearly half. The will is there, as Hanas plays the game hard. However, his lack of strength makes him less effective when forced to play at a slower pace. Additionally, he has a tendency to coast, which could also be a reflection of his conditioning. He is a highly skilled player with well-rounded offensive upside. As his ice time increases in Portland, look for him to break out. – BO

Keith Petruzzelli, G (88^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 8)

Petruzzelli was drafted in the third round following a successful U18 season in the USHL with Muskegon. He had previously been named the USPHL 18U Goaltender of the Year and Most Valuable Player. The next year he was named to the USHL All-Rookie team in his draft year. Petruzzelli got off to a rocky start as a freshman at Quinnipiac and split starts for his first two years. But he emerged into the starter role as a junior, where he improved his save percentage markedly. He tracks the puck well and squares up to shots. On the downside, while he gigantic, Petruzzelli lacks speed in his lateral movement which at times puts him out of position. He plays with a calm demeanor but does tend to scramble when he gets caught out of position. Petruzzelli also likes to flash his glove. He needs to work on his speed and his lateral movements within the crease during his senior season to convince the Red Wings to give him an ELC. - JS

Seth Barton, D (81^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Barton is not an overly offensive defenseman, but he can certainly contribute his share of points. A third-round draft pick, he spent one season in the BCHL before joining UMass-Lowell. That season he also appeared on the WJAC-19 championship winning team with Canada West. As a freshman, Barton contributed little offensively to UMass-Lowell. In his sophomore year, he showed a lot more ability to contribute at the other end. Barton also played on both the penalty kill and the power play, where he resided on the blue line. He is not extremely fast, but he is a smooth skater. He is very patient, especially when facing pressure from opposing players. While he could be calmer on the backcheck, he is still effective at defending, even in one-on-one situations. Barton is a good stickhandler and he makes quick and direct passes. At 6-2”, Barton can make more use of his size, which he will have the opportunity to do next season as a junior for the River Hawks. - JS

Elmer Soderblom, LW/C (159^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

A 6-7” winger with soft hands. Soderblom was a beast in the SuperElit last season and could score at will with his hard shot and big body. He also got a chance to play senior hockey in both SHL and Allsvenskan, but in a small role and he did not produce. Soderblom is a long-term project who needs to find his way to success with his huge body. His skating and puck handling are both OK, but with his size he is often expected to be physical force. Last year in junior hockey he instead used his big body to cover the puck and to create goals and scoring chances, and he was very hard for opponents to stop. With an adjustment period I can see him excel quickly at the senior level as well, and I can see a future NHL player in him playing a Fredrik Modin-style role. Soderblom is not overly physical but is strong around the net. He is not a sure thing but is a good bet as a 6th rounder. - JH

Kirill Tyutyayev, LW (190^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Tyutyayev spent majority of the 2019-20 season with Gornyak Uchaly in Russia’s second-highest league. He also played for Avto Yekaterinburg in the MHL, where his playmaking skills stood out. The winger is a skilled player who gives quality passes on both his forehand and backhand. He processes the game quickly and moves the puck in a timely manner. Furthermore, when he does have a proper passing option, he has the poise to hold on to the puck to buy some time for himself. More of a passer than a shooter, but Tyutyayev has a nose for the net and he is good on the power play. His skating is a nice mixture of agility and fluidity. His forward stride could be more explosive, but I would not consider this a significant issue. He displays situational awareness and recognizes the opportunities to pressure defensemen. Considering his size, he is a long shot to make the NHL, but he has potential. He will play for Yunost Minsk in the top Belarussian league next season. - MB

Yevgeni Svechnikov, LW (19^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 12)

The 19th overall pick in the loaded 2015 NHL Draft, Svechnikov has had a rough road as an NHL prospect to this point. A neck injury derailed the start of his 2017-18 season, and he didn’t appear to be fully healthy for much of it, while a knee injury erased his entire 2018-19 campaign. When he is healthy, he has been a fine player at the AHL level, but not necessarily a top forward as he was once projected to be. At 6-3”, he plays a heavy, power forward game predicated upon his one-on-one moves and ability to shield off the puck at speed and against the boards. He loves to drive to the greasy areas and engage physically with anyone in his path. He can make plays for his teammates but prefers to use his shot and power to create his own chances. A fair skater for his size, he didn’t lose a step following his knee surgery and can get up to speed well, although his top speed lags a bit. He has not shown he can be a long-term NHL player, but the potential is still there for Svechnikov as a bottom-six depth scorer. - TD

Albin Grewe, RW (66^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Grewe had a tough season. He has been a big offensive star in his age group in Sweden but has recently seen others catch up to him. He plays an offensive power forward style with good hands. At a younger age, his skating stood out, as he is explosive, but his skating technique is not that good, and he can’t create that way any longer. He will need to adjust his game and use his aggressive style to be more of a role player. He still can make good use of a scoring chance, but he can´t be the offensive driver at higher levels. Next season he will go to play in the OHL with Saginaw and should be a strong player for them. I can see him being a point per game player there. Most important is that he works on his game and finds himself a role that he can translate to higher levels. The tools are good, all things considered. - JH

Givani Smith, RW (46^thoverall, 2016. Previous ranking: 14)

After enduring some struggles in his final OHL season and the entirety of his first pro campaign in 2018-19, Smith enjoyed a resurgent sophomore year in the pro ranks that included a lengthy stint with the NHL club in Detroit at the beginning of the since-cancelled NHL regular season. Looking at Smith’s body of work, it is pretty obvious how he impressed the Red Wings’ brass; he is a damn hard worker and a physical beast, both on and off the puck. He has harnessed some of his high-level one-on-one moves and now better incorporates his body into the play offensively, which buys him and his linemates some time for high-danger chances. His skating and conditioning have improved some since he first came up to the AHL and he has turned into a consistent checking line option at the NHL level, where he played with veteran Justin Abdelkader in more than a dozen games. The 22-year-old will not develop into the offensive force once expected out of him as a 2016 second-rounder, but he will be a formidable auxiliary forward for a Red Wings team with an abundance of young talent in the works. - TD

2020 NHL Draft: Jimmy Hamrin on Value Picks and Misses

Jimmy Hamrin — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 15:41:18 +0000

First off, I feel the need to complain about how tough it was to follow the draft this year living in Sweden. I of course get that we have many bigger issues in the world but doing the draft two weekdays in a row with the first day being from 1 am to 5 am local time, then getting up at 7 am and try to go through the day like you were a normal, functioning human being and then have the second day of the draft span begin at 5.30 pm, lasting until 2 am and then getting up at 7 am again was… tougher than usual.

Secondly, I still would like to thank the NHL for being able to do this draft in these times and all in all I get that they did it the best that they could under the circumstances.

My overall takes from the actual drafting that went on is that games played in this season played a big part in how Europeans were drafted, even if they only had played a single digit number of games. In the later rounds some teams got creative with picking off-the-board players that had got off to good starts. Even in the first round, I like to think that Detroit was more comfortable with picking Lucas Raymond at four after the strong start he has had and the same with New Jersey picking Alexander Holtz. Those forwards in the 4-10 cluster of players was a tight race all season and the fact that Raymond and Holtz actually got to show that they have taken the expected big steps in their development helped them being the first two forwards picked there, bookending a pair of blueliners. I also think that Yaroslav Askarov’s impressive first three games in the KHL did not hurt when Nashville picked him at 11 and of course the real proof of recent performance-based drafting was when Columbus picked Yegor Chinakhov at 21 after he had scored five goals in the last five KHL games heading up to the draft.

I believe that kind of thinking is a bit risky at most times but with teenage prospects there also are so many uncertainties anyway so I cannot blame the clubs for choosing what they have actually seen in development rather than what they project the development to become.

From a Swedish standpoint I also like what Detroit did, especially picking both Lucas Raymond and Theodor Niederbach who are two players that I really like. Both are player types that Detroit has had success with in the past, smallish creative forwards with strong hockey IQ. I thought there were better players available when they picked William Wallinder at 32 (even if we only look at Swedish defenseman, I would have like Helge Grans better) but Wallinder is still an intriguing prospect due to his foundations of size and speed. If he can get his whole game together, he could become a strong pick there but for me there are too many risks with his game to like the pick. I think that Detroit has a better Swedish defenseman prospect in Albert Johansson who they picked 2019.

Luleås Noel Gunler during the ice hockey match in SHL between Luleå and Malmö on October 26, 2019 in Luleå. Photo: Simon Eliasson / BILDBYRÅN /

If we keep to the subject of Swedes getting drafted, I think Carolina found smart value in picking Noel Gunler at 41 and Zion Nybeck at 115. Neither of them are certain NHLers but both have top six upside. Especially Gunler, who I think looks better this season even if his ice time is still not optimal for his development. Another team that got an interesting Swede later than his talent shows is Winnipeg, with Anton Johannesson at 133. His small size combined with injury issues makes him a risky pick but at that spot in the draft most players are risky picks and if he can get healthy, he can play at a fast pace up in the SHL and make a lot of people excited with his tremendous puck skills and mobility.

In the same 5^th round I also liked Dallas’ 154^th pick in Daniel Ljungman. He is an intelligent center with a good shot. He has started the season strong and will soon be playing in the SHL. Last season, he scored only 10 goals in 40 games and fell in the rankings. This season he has started very strong with 12 goals in 12 games. Those two 5^th rounders have potential of becoming steals.

Four other Swedish picks who I liked were they were taken were Helge Grans (35) to the LA Kings, Emil Heineman (43) to Florida, Emil Andrae (54) to Philadelphia and Leo Lööf (88) to St. Louis. They all have strong foundations in their game at least to become NHL players and none of them went too low or too high if we factor in risk, upside, and pure talent and performance so far.

Sweden had a record strong draft with 31 players based inside the country picked. I was also glad to see some older players getting picked after being snubbed in earlier years. Adam Wilsby (101 NSH) is the one who has most upside and has the best chance of reaching the NHL, but a smart and hardworking center like Albin Sundsvik (160 ANA) who is established in the SHL, might lack elite tools but will be a good player and gives the team depth in their prospect pool. He can be a good AHL player or a useful bottom six center option. Other older, bottom six options, include Nils Åman (167 COL) and Eric Engstrand (155 OTT). Good size, good skaters, and good character with decent puck skills. Defenseman Samuel Johannesson (176 CBJ) could be a puck-moving low risk playing bottom pair defenseman too.

If we go really deep in the draft, into the 7^th round, I think the best Swedish pick there was Florida’s taking Elliot Ekmark at 198. A small sized center but with some good skills and hockey sense. He had a down year coming into the draft with injury issues and a tough time producing what you could expect from a player of that grade of pure talent. He is the kind of player who can show a fast development curve when things fall into the right places for him.

To circle back at the top of the draft I am excited about Lucas Raymond going to Detroit and Alexander Holtz to New Jersey. Raymond was the best available pick in our ranking at four and after a quite tough first whole season in the SHL with some bumps it was good to see his talent still being recognized properly. Surely, as I wrote earlier, the strong start to this season helped, but our assessment of Raymond as the fourth best player in the draft was decided in May. Detroit has a long way to go as an organization, but Raymond is going to be a mesmerizing player to watch. He will likely have a strong season with around 30 points in the SHL before stepping over next season. I can see him being able to drive a line in the NHL right away, but I do not think a start in the AHL would hurt his long-term development. Most importantly, he needs to play in a top six forward role and be given trust to drive the offense for that line.

Alexander Holtz was our best available pick at seven as well and he got picked by the best suitable team for his skillset, too. I cannot wait to see him step on the ice as the scorer on a Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier line. The Hughes/Caufield combination was amazing at the USNTDP team two seasons ago and I can see a good fit here with Holtz also being a more dynamic offensive player than Caufield. Holtz has started this season strong in the SHL and his goals seem to come even more frequently. I think he can reach 20 goals as soon as this season. He and Raymond will also be the dominant force of Sweden’s forthcoming WJC team.

My take from an organizational standpoint of the draft has Ottawa being the biggest disappointment. For a team in their position, to have so many picks and to not get more strong prospects was underwhelming. They should of course be excited about Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson who both are going to be strong core players for the club going in the future but after that I did not think got much value. Ridly Greig, Roby Järventie and Tyler Kleven are not high reward players. I get if you want to have some safe picks and at least one of those will probably play in a smaller role at some point but why not load up your pipeline with high end skill rather than with players who have a limited ceiling even if they pan out?

Another team I thought did well in the draft was San José with Ozzy Wiessblatt, Thomas Bourdeleau and Tristen Robins. All three have high upside. I also like Minnesota getting Marco Rossi, Marat Khusnutdinov and Ryan O’Rourke with the first three picks. New Jersey getting both Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer stands out, too. It would have been fun if they would have gone and taken available Hendrix Lapierre or Connor Zary with their third pick in the first just to load up with offensive talent, but they went with a balanced approach and picked defensive KHL prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin instead.

From an individual aspect at the top I was kind of surprised that the LA Kings chose Quinton Byfield over Tim Stützle but when we did our mock draft for Rotoworld I had that second pick and saw risks with both picks, mostly because the next tier had many strong forwards but also because they both can be 70-90 point players at their respective peaks. You get a good player either way but neither of them has the promise that Alexis Lafreniere has of becoming a franchise player, and if you pick at number two you want to end up with at least the second best player of the draft, while this year there were not a slam dunk pick there to make. For me, Stützle should have been the pick because he has shown what he can do against players that can match his individual tools in DEL and still succeeded while Byfield has yet to show how he can adapt his game on higher stages than the OHL. To be fair to Byfield, he only has played in small sample sizes outside of OHL which makes it harder to assess.

The other thing that surprised me at the top was Buffalo choosing Jack Quinn over Marco Rossi. Two players who are born late 2001 who played for the same team with Rossi being the superior point producer of the two. It is always hard to be strongly opinionated about players who I have not seen live myself but from what I have seen on video and read Rossi looks to be the more watchable and exciting of the two.

Theodor Niederbach – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #3

Top 20 Detroit Red Wing Prospects

1. Simon Edvinsson

2. Marco Kasper - C

3. Nate Danielson - C

4. Axel Sandin Pellikka - D

5. William Wallinder - D

6. Sebastian Cossa - G

7. Carter Mazur - LW

8. Trey Augustine – G

9. Dmitri Buchelnikov - LW

10. Shai Buium - D

11. Amadeus Lombardi - LW

12. Elmer Soderblom - RW

13. Albert Johansson - D

14. Andrew Gibson - D

15. Noah Dower Nilsson - LW

16. Antti Tuomisto - D

17. Cross Hanas - LW

18. Dylan James - LW

19. Theodor Niederbach - C

20. Redmond Savage - C

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #5 Detroit Red Wings

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Top 20 Prospects

EUROPEAN PROSPECT ROUNDUP

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: DETROIT RED WINGS – RANK: #1 – TIER I

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Can Sweden Overcome the Huge Hurdles?

Top 10 to watch:

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

2021 World Junior Championship: Hamrin’s Swedish World Junior Roster

Goal: Jesper Wallstedt - 02 (Hugo Alnefelt -01 and Calle Clang -02)

Defensive pairings:

Albert Johansson -01 – Victor Soderstrom -01 Philip Broberg -01 – Tobias Bjornfot -01 Emil Andrae -02 – Helge Grans -02 Simon Edvinsson -03

Forward lines:

Lucas Raymond -02 – Karl Henriksson -01 – Noel Gunler -01 William Eklund -02 – Albin Sundsvik -01 – Alexander Holtz -02 Simon Holmström -01 – Theodor Niederbach -02 – Oskar Olausson -02 Elmer Soderblom -01 – Arvid Costmar -01 – Emil Heineman -01 Daniel Ljungman -02

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Detroit Red Wings Top 20 Prospects

Lucas Raymond, RW/LW (4th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Moritz Seider, D (6th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Albert Johansson, D (60th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Theodor Niederbach, C (51st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Robert Mastrosimone, LW (54th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Joe Veleno, C (30th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Jonatan Berggren, LW/RW (33rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Jared McIsaac, D (36th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Antti Tuomisto, D (35th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

William Wallinder, D (32nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Donovan Sebrango, D (63rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Eemil Viro, D (70th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Cross Hanas, LW (55th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Keith Petruzzelli, G (88th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 8)

Seth Barton, D (81st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Elmer Soderblom, LW/C (159th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Kirill Tyutyayev, LW (190th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Yevgeni Svechnikov, LW (19th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 12)

Albin Grewe, RW (66th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Givani Smith, RW (46th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 14)

2020 NHL Draft: Jimmy Hamrin on Value Picks and Misses

Goal:
Jesper Wallstedt - 02 (Hugo Alnefelt -01 and Calle Clang -02)

Albert Johansson -01 – Victor Soderstrom -01
Philip Broberg -01 – Tobias Bjornfot -01
Emil Andrae -02 – Helge Grans -02
Simon Edvinsson -03

Lucas Raymond -02 – Karl Henriksson -01 – Noel Gunler -01
William Eklund -02 – Albin Sundsvik -01 – Alexander Holtz -02
Simon Holmström -01 – Theodor Niederbach -02 – Oskar Olausson -02
Elmer Soderblom -01 – Arvid Costmar -01 – Emil Heineman -01
Daniel Ljungman -02

Lucas Raymond, RW/LW (4^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Moritz Seider, D (6^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Albert Johansson, D (60^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Theodor Niederbach, C (51^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Robert Mastrosimone, LW (54^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Joe Veleno, C (30^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Jonatan Berggren, LW/RW (33^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Jared McIsaac, D (36^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Antti Tuomisto, D (35^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

William Wallinder, D (32^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Donovan Sebrango, D (63^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Eemil Viro, D (70^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Cross Hanas, LW (55^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Keith Petruzzelli, G (88^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 8)

Seth Barton, D (81^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Elmer Soderblom, LW/C (159^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Kirill Tyutyayev, LW (190^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Yevgeni Svechnikov, LW (19^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 12)

Albin Grewe, RW (66^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Givani Smith, RW (46^thoverall, 2016. Previous ranking: 14)