Swedish Draft Review - Surprises All Around
Aside from the foreseen selection of Robert
Nilsson in the middle of the first round, this year's draft certainly
Advertisement
took some unexpected turn of events from a Swedish perspective.
In Nilsson the New York Islanders will have a amazing offensive playmaker and
a fan-favorite in just a few years but for Tobias
Enstrom, the Swedish player second to Nilsson in terms of pure talent
in this draft crop, the draft experience wasn't as enjoyable. The extremely
talented and offensively gifted defenseman had to wait until the eight round
before the Atlanta Thrashers took courage and saw beyond Enstrom's 5'10-5'11
frame and selected him, as the 239th player in total. The pick of Enstrom in
the eight round may very well be the biggest steal in the whole draft this year.
Two other skilled Swedes that were picked later than expected was the Sodertalje
duo Dragan
Umicevic (Edmonton Oilers, 184th overall) and Linus
Videll (Colorado Avalanche, 204th overall). The creative winger Umicevic
established himself as a regular in the Swedish Elite League last season and
should have a very good chance at making it in the NHL. Videll is the type of
player that scouts tend to embrace, being a big, strong winger with a scoring
touch. However he has some problem with attitude and work ethic, which might
lowered his stock in the draft.
Frolunda's winger Loui
Eriksson put on a good show in the U 18 World Championships in April,
scoring five goals which gave him a remarkable jump in the draft as he ended
up being picked as 33rd overall by the Dallas Stars. Eriksson is without a doubt
a talented player, but looking at the whole season he was picked surprisingly
early.
Valdix managed to score two goals in the U 20 World Championships this
year and that secured a fairly early spot in the draft for him, as the Washington
Capitals picked him as 109th overall. Valdix is however in a desperate need
to improve strenght and grit in order to make it in the NHL. The Swede to follow
Valdix was the overrated Liam
Lindstrom, who's now leaving an abysmal season in Mora behind him as
he hopes to bounce back big time in his new second leauge club Sundsvall. As
it looks now however, there is little hope that the Phoenix Coyotes fourth round
pick will ever be an impact player in the NHL.
Another mid-round pick was the slightly overaged Nicklas Danielsson.
The 19-year old Brynas winger showed potential during his rookie season in the
Swedish Elite Leauge and could be an interesting player to follow for the Vancouver
Canucks, who picked Danielsson as 160th overall.
At the end of the draft a few quite unknown Swedes were selected, such as Hammarby's
junior defenseman Stefan Blom (Detroit Red Wings, 194th overall), who
isn't more than a junior leauge regular and the overager Tomas Kollar (Detroit
Red Wings, 226th overall). 21-year old Kollar, who this far in his career hasn't
proved to be more than a fairly capable second leauge player.