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Six Through Ten Top Swedish Prospects

August 17, 2012, 9:48 AM ET [15 Comments]
Adam French
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The second part of the top Swedes. I went back and put Silfverberg at number one. If Bill Meltzer says it it’s good to take notice. Just a reminder. This list doesn’t include any goalies or players who have played over 50 games in the NHL.

6. Jonas Brodin Defenseman (10th Overall 2011) 19 Years Old, Färjestad Elitserien, Property of the Minnesota Wild

He’s the stereotype for solid defenseman. I really thought he went ahead of where he should have been drafted. The Wild need a player of his calibre however. He’s extremely mobile and closes players with ease. He is always in a position to block a shot and is perfect for blocking players to the outside. At 6’1 you might expect him to be physical, but his game just forces players away from him through amazing awareness. In a defensive structure he will be a king. He has some offensive skills, but he is mostly a puck rusher and he handles the puck really well with calmness. He can get it into the zone, but then his game slows down and he has some issues with decision making...including never shooting. His strengths lay in the defensive end in my opinion. Some are thinking he will make the jump to the NHL next year, but I think that’s ill advised. He could use some AHL time to work on his physicality continuing his increasingly impressive board work and his shot.

Potential: 3-4 Two-Way Defenseman
Comparable: Jay Bouwmeester

7. Johan Larsson Center (56th Overall 2010) 20 Years Old, Brynäs Elitserien, Property of the Minnesota Wild

Larsson was a member of the deadly young trio of Brynäs along with Silfverberg and Jarnkrok, though he played mostly on the second line. He won Rookie of the Year this season, which was pretty impressive considering he started in 43 games the year before. He’s a fantastic hard working two way player. His work in the defensive zone is a work of art and at 19/20 he was anchoring his team’s penalty kill. He is a wizard in the face-off dot as well and showed his dominance in the WJC’s where he had a ridiculous 70.59%. While his offensive skills aren’t super impressive, he charges the net and is a solid passer. He’s a great team player and will almost certainly find his way to the NHL even if it’s just as a defensive forward. He can be used in all situations and is very versatile. His main weakness is his speed, he’s pretty average. The Captain of the Gold winning Swedes will suit up in the AHL next season.

Potential: 2nd/3rd Line Two-Way Center
Comparable: Mikko Koivu

8. Oscar Klefbom Defenseman (19th Overall 2011) 19 Years Old, Färjestad Elitserien, Property of the Edmonton Oilers

Klefbom is a very big and mobile defenseman. For a guy that’s 6’3 it’s really a treat to watch him skate so quickly and effortlessly. This has made him a very good puck rushing defender, especially because he is extremely hard to take off the puck. Offensively he has a lot of raw tools. He has a very hard shot, but is pretty inaccurate. He also has good vision and makes crisp passes. Currently he isn’t the kind of defenseman that can run a power play, but hopefully with more responsibility next season he can develop. Defensively he is fairly solid, but struggles with decisions at times. He’s got good positioning and his smooth skating allows him to cut off even the fastest of forwards. He can play physical, yet he’s inconsistent in that aspect of the game. An underrated aspect in my opinion is his leadership ability. The Oilers should take it slow with him and a full year with more responsibility would do him well.

Potential: Top-Four Rushing Defenseman
Comparable: Marc Staal

9. Gustav Nyquist Right/Left Wing (121st Overall 2008) 22 Years Old, Grand Rapids Griffins AHL, Property of the Detroit Red Wings

Speed, speed and holy crap more speed. Nyquist has that top-end speed that you just can’t teach. Add to that his extremely quick bursts and you have a very dangerous forward. Like many Wings prospects he was drafted for that one talent and was allowed to develop at his own pace. He’s very solid defensively and is usually the first player on the backcheck. He’s a serious scoring threat when shorthanded and if there are tired forwards on the point after 1:50 minutes straight, he’ll burn you (looking at you Kovalchuk/Ovechkin). He has a ton of creativity and makes plays well at top speed. While he’s a decent scorer, he’s definitely more of a playmaker as he draws a lot of defenders to him. He’s a bit diminutive at 5’11 and only 184lbs, but its all part of the slick package he brings. He’ll likely start with Detroit full time next season.

Potential: Top-Six Playmaker
Comparable: Frans Nielsen

10. Tim Erixon Defenseman (23rd Overall 2009) 21 Years Old, Connecticut Whale AHL, Property of the Columbus Blue Jackets

Force a trade to go to New York...end up in Columbus after only 18 games with your dream organization as the main piece of the Rick Nash trade...ouch. Erixon plays a very simple, safe and smart game. He has solid vision and passing skills, but keeps them very simple and crisp. Defensively he is very strong. His positioning and active stick makes for a potent mix. In the Elitserien he really helped mask Rundblad’s insane pinching with his calm play. He isn’t a PP quarterback, but he moves the puck well enough to fill in with a real one, while covering his arse. Erixon is likely destined to be a complimentary defender in the near future; he’ll have a big role in Columbus. He was very good for the Whale in the playoffs playing in all situations.

Potential: Top-Four Two-Way Defender
Comparable: Fedor Tyutin



Notables: Sebastian Collberg (Montreal Canadiens), Calle Jarnkrok (Detroit Red Wings), Mattias Ekholm (Nashville Predators), Patrick Nemeth (Dallas Stars), Ludvig Bystrom (Dallas Stars), Rickard Rakell (Anaheim Ducks), William Karlsson (Anaheim Ducks), Max Friberg (Anaheim Ducks), Jesper Fasth (New York Rangers) and a bunch more...there are seriously so many solid Swedes.


Thanks for reading.
Next up...Denmark! Huzzah?
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