2004 Draft: Swedish Overagers

Watch out for Johan Franzen who might be one of the first European overagers to be taken in this year’s draft. The talented center appears to be the only true overage standout from Sweden, although there are a couple of other names to consider. We provide the scouting reports on Franzen, Karl Fabricius and Per Hallberg.

Johan Franzen, C, Linkoping, Age: 24

Broke through with an excellent season (12 goals, 30 points) after only showing flashes of talent previously, establishing himself as one of the frontrunners for overagers to be drafted .. relies on magnificent stickhandling abilities and good speed .. moves with fluid, quick strides and accelerates effortlessly .. was unable to use speed to his advantage in the past, but learned to use it as a weapon due to added strength and better offensive sense .. shortcomings include playmaking and vision, which still limit him .. has a quick, accurate wrister .. works hard in his own end, although positional game and anticipation skills are pretty raw .. a rangy guy with size – he’s worth a mid-round pickup.

Karl Fabricius, LW, Lulea, Age: 21

Gifted winger with above-average size .. youngster established himself with Lulea, landing on the team’s top line early on, after bouncing between the SEL and the 2nd league in previous seasons .. a gifted stickhandler; showcases impressive dangle and elusive moves .. has a high-caliber wrist shot that is quick and accurate .. has above-average vision; makes well-timed, informed feeds .. a smooth skater who possesses good top end speed, but needs to work on power skating, as his stride lacks extension .. conditioning is not yet up to par in the SEL, seems to tire quickly, but this is more due to inexperience .. despite the solid frame, he simply doesn’t win enough battles along the boards as he should .. a strict training regimen would make a pretty good player out of him, but he’s yet to be pushed hard enough .. often too pretty in his approach; too often follows the puck instead of picking his spots on offense.

Per Hallberg, D, Farjestad, Age: 26

One of the smarter and best all-around skilled blueliners in the SEL .. participated with the Swedish silver medal-team at the World Championships in Czech Republic .. mature guy with an impeccable work ethic .. excellent hockey sense and reacts well to changes in game pace, with and without the puck .. an above-average passer who makes crisp feeds .. strong and smooth with the puck .. excels at keeping the game simple .. possesses accurate shooting skills from the point .. below-average size and lack of physical age could keep him from getting drafted .. strong-checking teams tend to wear him down a bit.