My Swedish draft board 2022

It's that time of the year again where I list a bunch of Swedish players that I think are good at hockey and that I would consider drafting at the 2022 NHL Draft.

I’ve finally put this together after a lot of pain and agony. This is my draft board of Swedish players for the NHL Draft 2022. The opinions that you see on every player are my opinions only, I haven’t talked to any scouts or similarly for their opinion. The draft ranges under each player are where I would take/rank the player in this year's draft. 

I’ve watched a lot of Swedish players this year, just like last year. Probably not as many as last year but I was doing catch up on previous years draft eligible players. With that being said, if a player isn’t on this list it’s because I didn’t like them enough to put on the list or I just don’t see a projectable NHL future for the player. That doesn’t mean that the player isn’t good, it’s just one opinion of a thousand others albeit an opinion of someone who actually watches a lot of hockey, especially in Sweden. 

Before I start the list, which will be divided by defensemen and forwards, I want to take the opportunity to speak about something that has bothered me a lot this year. There’s a lot of opinions going around on Twitter these days, especially from scouts like myself. 

What I want other scouts (if you read this) to do is to think about what you write or say about a player when you speak about them publicly. I have been overly harsh before on Twitter towards players and I can only apologize for that. At the end of the day, we’re talking about 17-18 year old players who are just chasing their dream and the way some (prominent and less prominent) Twitter scouts, for the lack of a better term, talk about these players is sickening and downright mean. Some scouts tweet about the same player several times over an entire season to just put that player down just so they can look good in case that player doesn’t realize their dream. If that happens that Twitter scout will smugly sit and smile to himself and tweet “I told you so” but if the scout is wrong the tweet will be deleted and then that same scout will talk about how he always believed in that player. 

This isn’t a pissing contest between scouts and who is the most right. We are all trying to analyze these players but to relish in their failures or going at them for having a rough game or a rough patch is just a terrible thing to do. 

I want people to think about what they’re saying about players and I want them to think about the human being behind the player. No, hockey players are not the most vulnerable people out there in the world but they are people and I want you to remember that.

If I seem overly harsh in any comments made in this piece or if I seem downright mean, let me know and I’ll do better. 

Finally, I want to give a big shoutout to Josh Tessler and the Smaht Scouting team that I’ve been working with this year. They’re a great bunch and you should follow them all!

With that said, I hope you enjoy this list.

---

Defensemen

Calle Odelius - 6’0, 185 lbs, Djurgården   

Odelius is an offensive defenseman with tremendous skating and sweet passing. His four-way mobility is a treat to watch when he balances on the offensive blue line. I believe in Odelius a lot more than other people do, I think. He really needs to work on his defensive zone play but his on-puck play is terrific. With some work on his strength and working on gaining an extra gear with his skating, I believe he could be one of the best defensemen coming out of this draft.

 His mobility and offensive capabilities are top class but there is a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to reach his upside. Defensively I think he’s quite good at reading passes and plays and is able to break up passes on the regular but he gets lost in his own zone and doesn’t know when to step up and put pressure on his opponent or when to back off and steer him the direction he wants to. I can see Odelius being a really good 2nd pairing defenseman in the NHL if everything pans out. 

Draft range: Pick 15-25.

Adam Engström - 6’2, 185 lbs, Djurgården  

Engström is a solid defenseman with good skating ability. He isn’t the most noticeable player on the ice but he does so many things well and could be a decent bottom pairing defenseman in the NHL in the future. He skates well and that combined with well-educated hands he can escape pressure in a good way. 

Engström also plays defense really well, he reads plays and breaks them up by either stepping up to put pressure on the opponent or by keeping his distance, forcing them to the outside and winning the board battle. Nothing stands out a lot with Engström but the solid toolkit makes him worth a pick. 

Draft range: 6th round or later.

Mattias Hävelid - 5’10, 172 lbs, Linköping HC

Hävelid is an offensive defenseman with great skating and shooting. He has great puck control and moves up and down the ice really well. In the offensive zone he is a creator from the blue line but he can also move down on and off the puck and create chances closer to the net. His shot is really strong and he showed it in the semi finals of the J20 playoffs when he had a hattrick against Örebro.

The small issue I have with Hävelid is that he is taking a lot, and I mean a lot, of bad shots all over the place. He loves shooting and with his abilities, I don’t really blame him but the decision making needs to improve for him to become what I hope he can be. He has the potential of being a really good offensive defenseman in the NHL. 

Draft range: Late first round. 

Oscar Pantzare - 6’1, 187 lbs, Frölunda HC

Pantzare is a defenseman with great skating and really good rush defense that was quite under utilized by Frölunda at the J20 level during the season. The defensive side of things are strong with Pantzare, especially in the neutral zone and during rushes. Where I see potential growth is his play with the puck on his stick. He is evasive due to his skating and he can find some nice passing plays to set up the attack but I want him to do more of that and be more confident in that.

 Watching him play at the J18 level was a completely different beast, he was totally in control of the puck and created dangerous chances offensively on a consistent basis. The difference between J18 and J20 is somewhat big but he didn’t really get the chance to prove himself at the J20 level. I think Pantzare is a pick you make in the late rounds and see what steps in his development he takes. 

Draft range: Late round flyer. 

Jakob Norén - 5’9, 170 lbs, Modo Hockey

Norén is a smaller defenseman whose calling card is his defensive abilities and he is one of the most refined defensive defensemen in the draft. He has shown that his size isn’t an issue playing against men during the year for Modo in HockeyAllsvenskan and he has also shown that he has solid skills on the puck. When he wins the puck he has the ability to find a teammate even under tough pressure. He can also move himself out of pressure with the puck on his stick. 

While he isn’t that impressive going forward right now he has shown interesting moments with the puck on his stick and his skating is really really good. His passing is good but it can become better but with him being so young for the draft and so refined defensively, I believe a team could get a steal if they pick him up.  

Draft range: Late 2nd-mid 3rd

Filip Nordberg - 6’4, 207 lbs, Södertälje SK

Nordberg is a big defenseman with soft hands and some solid skating. He is really fun with the puck on his stick and can, with his large frame and nice hands, protect the puck and handle any tough situation. His passing is mostly fine but I find that he handles pressure better by stick handling or skating his way out of it. Defensively he can be somewhat physical and use his body to win the puck but I would like to see him use it more, just to knock the opponent off the puck more often. 

I’ve noticed that he tends to get stuck with his feet on the ice when someone attacks him 1v1, he doesn’t move his feet well enough and if the opponent is skilled enough Nordberg’s reach won’t help him as he will get walked. If he learns to move his feet more and be more proactive than reactive I think his defense will come along nicely. 

Draft range: 4-5th round. 

Ludvig Jansson - 6’0, 176 lbs, Södertälje SK

Jansson is an offensive-leaning defenseman who shines the most with the puck on his stick. He is a very good skater who generates good speed quickly and he is very solid on his edges. He is calm on the puck and can stickhandle his way out of tough spots and tight spaces. His passing is a bit iffy and he relies heavily on his partner to be the main playdriver of the pairing, at least in HockeyAllsvenskan. In the defensive end Jansson is watching a lot of puck and with that loses players behind him consistently. 

He is very aggressive in his defending and is constantly following the puck and stepping out to shut down the opponent with little knowledge of what goes on behind him. His defense needs a lot of work but his skating and his ability to handle the puck are two very strong areas to work with and enough for him to get drafted. 

Draft range: 5-6th round. 

Elias Salomonsson - 6’1, 183 lbs, Skellefteå AIK   

Salomonsson is a really good skater and is equipped with some nice hands. I made an entire post solely on Salomonsson and his journey this season, starting as a prospect who could go top-10 and then eventually just fell and fell and fell because of some very bad performances during the first half of the season. By the end of the season he had found his mojo back and was playing much much better than he did earlier in the season. 

I want him to trust his instincts more and be the aggressive defenseman that he is and put pressure on his opponents as soon as they enter his zone. He is such a good skater and very good with his stick so when you let him be aggressive in his defending, you get the best out of him. If you try to make him sit back and read play a bit more you won’t get the best defense out of him. Salomonsson is otherwise a offensive defenseman with some nice scoring skill, albeit mostly on the power play

Draft range: Mid-late 2nd round. 

Simon Forsmark - 6’2, 194 lbs, Örebro Hockey

Forsmark is a safe offensive leaning defenseman who is skilled at starting attacks with his passing plays. The question I have regarding Forsmark is how well his play will translate to the NHL. He likes to hold onto the puck and wait for the right opportunity to pass and at junior level he gets away with it but at senior level he struggles sometimes . His defense isn't a standout but it's not a big issue either. For me Forsmark is just kinda bland but it does look like he could play in the NHL one day, probably as a puck-moving bottom-pairing option. 

Draft range: 4-5th round. 

Elias Pettersson - 6’2, 185 lbs, Örebro Hockey

Pettersson's best asset is his skating which he utilizes well winning foot races and using it to protect the puck when it's on his stick. His passing is also something that works well for him. But he has issues in his own zone and when in the offensive zone he resorts to taking shots from a long distance and more often than not the shots get blocked. With his physical tools and his promising passing makes him at least interesting in this year's draft but a lot of work is needed. 

Draft range: 6-7th round. 

Lian Bichsel - 6’5, 225 lbs, Leksand

Bichsel is a large defenseman with solid defensive skills and the ability to carry the puck forward well if he gets the space to do so. Where I have my concerns are with his ability to handle tight situations where he's put under pressure. His problem solving skills with the puck on his stick are below par and his distribution and passing isn't good enough when he wins the puck back. When he wins the puck in his own zone he tends to send the puck immediately out to the neutral zone or down the ice to an icing. 

I want him to be better at keeping the puck within the team when he gains possession. He is very good at winning the puck back, playing an aggressive style of defense where he uses his large body to move players off the puck efficiently. I really enjoy the way he uses his body and strength to push players off the puck, he plays physical in a smart way and doesn't just go for huge hits all the time. 

Draft range: Mid-late 2nd round. 

Theo Wallberg - 6’4, 187 lbs, Skellefteå AIK

Wallberg is a 6'4 defenseman whose most prolific trait is his skating. He wins foot races consistently and in a straight line he can get up to a high speed instantly. He has really good turns and he can shift past opponents, although he doesn't show that off often. He is a bit hit and miss with his passing but there’s some really nice potential there. He is a bit weak in puck battles, especially when trying to win the puck off his opponents. 

With his size and speed he could become a threat if he adds more weight and muscle and works on his play on the puck. Defensively I would like to see him utilize his reach a bit more and force his opponents to the outside more. An intriguing player that could be solid late round value for a team.  

Draft range: 4-5th round.

Pontus Johansson - 6’0, 168 lbs, Frölunda HC (Djurgården)

A D+2 offensive defenseman with not that impressive numbers so far in his young career. He has issues in the defensive zone, especially in and around his own net but his ability to navigate tight spaces and his skating ability are two reasons why I would take a chance on him. When Johansson has control of the puck in the offensive zone he has the ability to create chances through his skating and his ability to attack open space. Off the puck he reads the play well and breaks up passes on a semi-regular basis at the SHL level. There's a lot of work still for the 2001-born defenseman but his raw tools and the fact that he is moving to Frölunda, the best developers of young defensemen in Sweden, are reasons why I rank him in this draft. 

Draft range: 6-7th round. 

---

Forwards

Liam Öhgren - 6’1, 201  

Öhgren is a really skilled winger with awesome skating and great offensive off-puck play. He efficiently enters the offensive zone and drives the outside incredibly well. His movement around the net is among the best in this draft and a huge reason why he scored so many goals at the J20 level this year. Another reason why he scored so many goals is his shot which is really good. Where I have my concerns with Öhgren are with his inability to move past defensemen if he doesn’t have an open sheet of ice. While he can beat his opponent with his stickhandling, he regularly gets stuck and loses the puck while trying to turn away from pressure. 

He also has a harder time when he lacks space to create, which is a big reason why he didn’t stick with the SHL team despite being physically ready. I also feel like Öhgren is very well-developed already, somewhat similar to Marco Kasper although Öhgren has definitely the higher upside. I don’t see Öhgren as a line driver in the NHL, he won’t be the driving force of an offense but he will most likely slot in as a top-6 complementary winger. I see him as a Zach Hyman type player and that is a great get for whoever gets him in the first round. 

Draft range: Pick 8-15.

Ludwig Persson - 6’0, 185 lbs, Frölunda HC

Persson is a curious case. He is a skilled, creative and dangerous offensive player but with some serious consistency issues and periods of lacking effort. But it’s clear he has talent and next year he has the opportunity to play in a new environment as he will be loaned to HockeyAllsvenskan and Karlskoga. They have been a great team to develop players for a long time and I think it will benefit Persson greatly. I think he needs to realize that for him to succeed, he has to accept a role as more of an off-puck player rather than a line driver. He is smart enough to play off the puck well but hasn’t really shown the will to do that except when playing in the SHL and that’s where his play has been the most promising. I see a potential third line scoring wing in the NHL but the road there is long, that’s why he ends up lower on my board. 

Draft range: 4th round. 

Alexander Suzdalev - 6’2, 176 lbs, HV71   

Suzdalev is a creative and skilled winger who excels in making small plays in tight areas to either move his team up the ice or to create a scoring opportunity. His skating is smooth and shifty but you hope to get a little more speed from him but if his development continues on the right path there will be no issues with his skating. His playmaking skills are his bread and butter, he finds cross ice passes on the rush, he picks out players on the back post in the offensive zone and he can start an attack from deep. He needs to work on his shot a bit more, while he shows that his shot is dangerous at times, he doesn’t have a consistently dangerous shot. I also want him to move his feet more, be more aggressive on the forecheck and utilize his body to shield the puck. He is a stout guy and could with the right training become a force along the boards. I see 2nd line potential in Suzdalev but right now it’s locked away and that’s why he isn’t in my first round.  

Draft range: Mid 2nd round. 

Filip Bystedt - 6’4, 205 lbs, Linköping HC  

Bystedt is a large, smooth-skating center with a hell of a shot and good playmaking skills. The combinations of skills that Bystedt possesses should make him a clear cut first rounder but he, as with a lot of young players, has consistency issues. You don’t always get the effort, the high-quality play and the full Bystedt experience. But when you get it, you get blown away. If he can fix some of those consistency issues and effort issues, the team that drafts him will get a really good middle-6 center with some solid upside potential.  

Draft range: Late 1st-early 2nd round. 

Noah Östlund - 5’11, 163 lbs, Djurgården  

Östlund is the most talented center to come out of Sweden since Elias Pettersson. He is incredibly skilled, a great passing threat and a tremendous skater. He is on the smaller side and that concerns some people that he won’t be able to play center at the next level but he is made to be a centerman. His defensive play is severely underrated. He can play defense a multitude of ways, he can anticipate plays and read them to break up plays, he can be aggressive in forecheck situations and win puck possession that way and he can smother opponents in the defensive zone. 

His offensive abilities are really strong and his strongest ability is his creativity and chance creation. He finds teammates in the offensive zone really well and can create high danger scoring chances on his own with his puck skills. The only issue I see is that he is small but I think that’s an easy fix for a player with his determination and quality. If he slips out of the first round, I would easily consider him the steal of the draft as I would take him much higher. For me Östlund has the potential to be a good 2nd line center and to be the glue that holds a line together. 

Draft range: Pick 8-15.

Fabian Wagner - 6’0, 181 lbs, Linköping HC

Wagner is a skilled and fast center that also can play on the wing. He has the ability to stickhandle his way out of anything and that combined with his skating makes him a threat in carrying the puck into the offensive zone and all the way to the net. The issue with Wagner is his consistency, he disappears for long stretches of games and his effort level isn’t always there either. When he plays the way he can and to the best of his abilities he looks like a first round guy. He’s fast and skilled and can make any player look like a fool. But with that type of play showing up rarely means that he will fall down my board a bit. 

Draft range: Late 3rd-early 4th round.

Joel Jonsson - 5’9, 152 lbs, Mora IK

Jonsson is a small but incredibly skilled forward with great ability to create chances for himself and his teammates. He can beat opponents 1v1 by going inside or outside and he has great vision, finding open teammates in the offensive zone. You can sometimes question his defensive play and effort and sometimes he can be a bit of a pest to the opponents with some plays bordering rule breaking but it’s a talent on its own and I like his attitude. 

He was the main offensive driver for his team in J20 and it shows as he tends to hold on to the puck for a bit too long sometimes and tries to do everything on his own. But when he got the opportunity to play for his men’s team in HockeyAllsvenskan he looked much sharper, playing more directly and fit right in. He didn’t look out of place and had games where he was genuinely good at a tough men’s level and that isn’t always easy at his size.

Draft range: Mid 2nd round.  

Jonathan Lekkerimäki - 5’11, 172 lbs, Djurgården  

Lekkerimäki is a fast, skilled forward with a lethal shot. He has developed his speed and skating really well the last few years. When I saw him at 15 his skating was an issue (and even then he absolutely torched his opposition) but now he has worked on it a lot and the last year he has taken an immense step in his development. There’s still work left to do on his skating but it has come a long way and that step in his development is incredibly promising. He is quite young for the draft and won’t turn 18 until a few weeks after the draft. The problem with Lekkerimäki is, while he has a crazy good shot, he is taking a big chunk of his shots from not very dangerous zones.

 He needs to get in close to the net and get more of those tap-ins and “gritty” goals for me to consider him becoming a high-quality scorer at the NHL level. He also needs to improve his playmaking, especially 5v5. Lekkerimäki is raw but incredibly talented and I can see a world where he is a top-6 goal scoring machine for a lucky team.

Draft range: Pick 8-15.

Marco Kasper - 6’2, 187 lbs, Rögle

Kasper is a well-developed forward with great skating ability and decent puck control. He is great at skating in a straight line but he does also show off some nice turning ability. Kasper moves well off the puck in the offensive zone, positioning himself in dangerous areas around the net. 

What I have issues with is his on puck creativity, especially creating chances for his teammates. He isn’t finding his teammates offensively enough for my liking and I think his limits with the puck on his stick will hurt his chances of being a top-6 contributor in the NHL in the future. I think he is a lock to play in the NHL and he could even be a good third line center in the future but he is far along in his physical growth and I don’t see a lot of room left to grow unless he unlocks his playmaking and chance creating ability. 

Draft range: Late 1st round. 

Oskar Pettersson - 6’2, 198 lbs, Rögle

Pettersson is a forward with a nice shot and some really good stick handling, especially in close quarters where he can keep the puck on his stick and feed a pass to a teammate under intense pressure. He moves quite well without the puck, always trying to be an option for his teammates and in the offensive zone he positions himself by the net and is effective in those areas. 

I would like him to improve his skating even though it isn’t necessarily bad right now. It’s actually good for the J20 level but he needs to improve his first few steps so he can take that next step towards pro level. Pettersson’s tool set is intriguing but I feel like it’s more of a tool set for a top-6 type of player and I don’t think he will reach that on the NHL level. So he would need to improve his game defensively and his forechecking to become more of a well rounded player that can play a bottom-6 role at the NHL level while also being somewhat of a threat offensively.

Draft range: 5-6th round. 

Hugo Frylén - 6’2, 207 lbs, Västerås

Frylén is a big forward with very good physical tools. He skates really well although he is a bit slow getting up to good speed. He’s good on his edges and he beats defenders on the outside consistently and drops the shoulder to drive to the net and he does that with good success thanks to his skating and strength. Frylén has shown off some nice passing plays as well and is good at setting up his teammates on the rush. I like his play in tight areas whether it’s with or without the puck. 

With the puck he can utilize his skating to turn away defenders or just stickhandle his way out of trouble. Without the puck he is a strong, physical guy and can push players off the puck. While Frylén might not be a player with a strong upside, it’s easy to see why someone with his tool set could become a bottom-6 NHL player in the future.  

Draft range: 7th round. 

Kalle Broed - 5’8, 161 lbs, AIK (Växjö) 

Broed is an undersized center with great skating and a ton of skill. His puck handling is terrific and he can beat his defender consistently with his hands. He utilizes his speed well and creates space for himself and his teammates with it. I also like Broed’s defensive game, he positions himself well in the defensive zone when he plays as a center. He reads plays well and breaks up passes but he is also aggressive and gets in close to his opponents when needed. He didn’t play a lot in J20 which combined with his size as a center will make it tough for him to get drafted but I enjoy watching him and think he could become an NHL player in the future. 

Draft range: 7th round. 

Tim Almgren - 5’10, 152 lbs, Örebro Hockey   

Almgren is a smooth-skating winger with good off-puck movements and some decent hands. He consistently moves into dangerous areas without the puck, trying to find scoring opportunities and being an option for his teammates. He shows off some nice moves with the puck on his stick too, trying to weave past opponents combining his skating and puck handling. I think he could develop his puck handling a bit as he tends to lose the puck while trying to make a move. 

Draft range: 6-7th round.  

Joel Kant - 6’1, 172 lbs, Luleå  

Kant is a somewhat physical center with nice playmaking skills and decent skating. He is great at protecting the puck and utilizes his strength well holding onto the puck. He throws reverse hits to keep the puck and isn't afraid to put his body on the line to win the puck back. He is good with his stick defensively and is decent at breaking up rushes in the neutral zone with his stick play and ability to read where his opponent is going. His off the puck play is a bit odd, especially when his defensemen are trying to start the attack, but I feel that is more due to the system around him and the role he is playing for Luleå's J20 team. I could definitely see him grow into an NHL player one day. He won't be a big impact player but with his alround solid play, I can see him turn into a player in the league in the future. 

Draft range: 7th round.  

Players I like but not enough to draft them:

Hugo Hävelid, G, Linköping

Lukas Swedin, G, HV71

Eric Hultgren, FW, Leksand

Sandis Vilmanis, W, Luleå

Valdemar Johansson, FW, AIK, D+1

Gustav Karlsson, W, Örebro

Isac Born, C, Frölunda

Ludvig Mellgren, D, Växjö

And probably more that I can’t remember to fill the list out with right now…