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2007 Entry Draft: The Frölunda Five plus Three Sleeper Picks |
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In previous blogs, I've looked at two of the five prospects in the Frölunda Indians Gothenburg system in Sweden who are likely to be drafted in the top three rounds of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
In Central Scouting's final rankings, center/winger Lars Eller is ranked third among European skaters, while goaltender Joel Gistedt is the number one European goaltender (Eller is 18th overall in the current ISS ratings and Gistedt in the 5th-ranked goaltender overall).
Now let's look at the other three prospects: left winger Simon Hjalmarsson, center Joakim Andersson and defenseman Jens Hellgren.
Simon Hjalmarsson
Left wing
5-11, 161 pounds
Shoots: Left
Central Scouting: #6 European final rankings, #18 in Mid-term rankings
ISS: Not ranked in top 30
THN: Not ranked in top 30
McKeen's: #18 prospect overall
Hjalmarsson is one best finishers to come through the Swedish junior ranks in quite some time. He has a very quick shot release, can puck the puck upstairs even from in close and is accomplished on the backhand as well as the forehand. He is also a nifty stickhandler and a good passer. Some have compared his offensive skill package to that of Kristian Huselius.
This season, he scored 31 goals and 54 points during the season for Frölunda (although he only scored once and had two points during Frölunda's victorious playoff run to the J20 SuperElit championship). Hjalmarsson's nose for the net combined nicely with Lars Eller's ice vision and playmaking ability.
Hjalmarsson excelled for Team Sweden at the Under-18 World Championships, scoring four times and adding five assists in six games. Much of the damage came in his five-point bronze medal game against Canada. Prior to the U-18s, he was the third highest point-getter at the Five Nations tournament.
The main knocks on Hjalmarsson are his lack of size and strength. Although he is willing to get his nose dirty by venturing into traffic (as his 91 penalty minutes in 41 games attest), his ability to do so at a higher level remains to be proven. Although he has slighty above-average speed, he's not a blazer. These factors may knock him out of first-round range in the draft, although he could go late in the first round.
Hjalmarsson's Frölunda coach, Jens Gustavsson, expects players to work on their all-around games. Although there's still room for improvement in his play without the puck, Hjalmarsson is decent defensively and should continue to improve as he develops.
An Eastern Conference NHL scout said of Hjalmarsson, "He's a good prospect but I don't think his upside all-around is quite as good as Eller. There's more guesswork about his size and skating. But he has two things you can't teach -- hands and work ethic. He keeps his legs moving."
Hjalmarsson comes from a hockey family. The youngest of three hockey-playing brothers, his older brothers, Erik and Gustav, play for Swedish minor league clubs Nybro IF and the Växjö Lakers respectively.
Joakim Andersson
Center
6-2, 198 pounds
Shoots: Left
Central Scouting: #5 European final rankings, #4 in Mid-term rankings
ISS: Not ranked in top 30
THN: #21 overall
McKeen's: #44 overall
Andersson has a lot of things going for him that NHL scouts like. He's big, he's already strong defensively and he has an unselfish, team-oriented approach. He kills penalties effectively and provides strong puck support. He's also a savvy forechecker. Some have compared his potential to that of Samuel Påhlsson, with the potential to score a little more.
At the U20 SuperElit level, he's a fine offensive player, scoring 20 goals and 46 points in the regular season (he had seven points -- all assists -- in the playoffs). He made his Elitserien debut this past season for Frölunda's top club, playing briefly in one match.
When he's played for the Swedish national team, Andersson has taken on more of a checking role than offensive role. He went pointless at the Under-18 Worlds last year and had one point (an assist) for this year's bronze-medal winning Små Kronor.
The question marks on Andersson are primarily about his skating. Despite his size, he lacks explosiveness and seemed to wear down over the course of the U-18 Worlds. Some say he should play more physically, given his big frame. He won faceoffs at a shade under 50 percent during the SuperElit season, and can use a little further improvement if he is to play against opposing teams' top lines.
"If he improves his skating a little bit, I think he could be a (third or second line) type in the NHL. He has some offensive skills and he is pretty good playing without the puck," says the scout. "I don't think he's as good as [Mikael] Backlund but I think he's a fairly safe pick. He's pretty good now and should get better."
Originally a product of Munkedals BK, Andersson has been with the Frölunda system for the last few years. His cousin, Fredrik Johansson, was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 9th round (#274 overall) of the 2002 draft. The center now plays as a checking liner on Frölunda's big club.
Jens Hellgren
Defenseman
6-3, 191 pounds
Shoots: Left
Central Scouting: #17 European final rankings, #18 in Mid-term rankings
ISS: Not ranked in top 30
THN: Not ranked in top 30
McKeen's: #100 overall
Jens Hellgren is one of those players with which there's a disconnect between his potential and his performance. If you graphed his collection of skills -- speed, body type, first-pass ability, anticipation -- Hellgren would rank in the upper echalon of prospects. His work ethic is fine.
But the consistency just isn't there, at least not yet. Whether the cause is that he doesn't play "simple and determined enough in his own end" (Eliteprospects.com) or that he "doesn't seem to trust his own ability" (NHL Eastern Conference scout), there's something missing right now.
On Frölunda's championship-winning J20 team this year, Hellgren was a minus-seven (he was a plus-one in the playoffs). He had four goals and 10 points. Hellgren also played for Sweden at Under-18 Worlds, going without a point and was an even plus-minus.
Kyle Woodlief wrote of Hellgren in Red Line Report, "He's a tease. He has everything necessary to be a top 20 pick, but he never puts it together for more than a shift or two."
The Eastern Conference scout agreed, saying, "There's a lot of defensemen out there like him. Some make it, some don't. He seems a little bit indecisive but the tools are all there. I think he can do a lot more that we've seen at both ends of the ice. Based on performance, I thought he was the third-best defenseman the Swedes had at the Under-18s. Based on tools, I'd put him first."
Hellgren, who started out in the Leksands IF system, is likely to get drafted in the third to fifth round of the draft; probably closer to the higher end of the estimate.
At age 17, playing a position where players often take a long time to mature, scouts can forgive a certain amount of inconsistency from a player like Hellgren. In the past, NHL teams could wait on a European draftee for many years if necessary.
The two-year signing window for European prospects in the current CBA is likely to mean that, if he gets signed, he'd be loaned back to Frölunda or play a couple minor league seasons before being NHL ready. It could also push him toward the lower end of the 3rd round to 5th round draft estimate.
***
Here are three sleeper picks who are likely to be available anywhere from the middle of the second round to later rounds of the draft. Two are definitely on the draft radar this year, the third is a deep sleeper pick.
Eric Tangradi
Left Wing, Belleville Bulls (OHL)
6-3, 205
Ratings-- Central Scouting (Ranked #93 North American (Final),#187 North American (Mid-Term), McKeen's (#47 overall)
A Philadelphia native who graduated the Junior Flyers Program and was a star for Wyoming Seminary Prep, Tangradi played sparingly for much of his rookie season with Belleville. He came on very strong down the stretch and scored 8 goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games after scoring just five goals and 20 points during the regular season.
A Belleville teammate, Shawn Matthias, was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round last year despite modest rookie numbers, and really came on this season for the Bulls. As Tangradi continues to fill out, he could be a force.
He's a projection, but the tools are there.
Nick Bonino
Center, Avon Old Farms (USHS)
6-1, 180 pounds
Shoots left
Ratings: Central Scouting (#89 North American in final ratings, #117 in Mid-term rankings), McKeen's #122 overall)
There is excellent word-of-mouth on this prep school player, who was among the most highly recruited players by NCAA Division I schools. He will attend Boston University in the fall.
Bonino is widely considered one of the best high-school level offensive talents in the United States. Reportedly, he's attended several hockey development camps that have included a host of highly-regarded young players, and has always held his own.
The primary knock on Bonino is his skating.
Paul Byron
Center, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
5-9, 137 lbs.
Unranked
No, the weight is not a typo. It would be easy to simply dismiss Byron because he is usually the smallest player on the ice. But he plays like he's got something to prove, and is fearless about skating into traffic. He is elusive enough to be hard to catch, but he's taken some frightful hits and bounced right back up.
As the season progressed, the 17-year-old Byron saw time on the same line as Philadelphia Flyers first round pick Claude Giroux. In Gatineau's first-round playoff loss, the Ottawa native averaged a goal per game.
In order to have any shot at a pro career, "Slick" is going to have to score at a Patrick Kane-like clip over the next few years, because his heart and desire alone won't be enough. It took a huge Jr. B season with Ottawa West Land for Byron to get a shot at the major junior ranks.
The current McKeen's has Byron ranked #147 overall (late 4th round/ early 5th round range). I was thrilled to see his name on there, because I stumbled upon him on the roster (don't see many players who are that lightweight, even in junior hockey) when tracking the progress of Giroux. He's unranked pretty much everywhere else.
How could you not root for a player like Byron to succeed? He progressed admirably over the course of the season. I'd love to see some NHL team take a risk on the pint-sized pepperpot even if it's in the last round of the draft this year, or next year.
If nothing else, he'd be a fan favorite for someone's AHL affiliate.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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