U17 World Hockey Challenge - Sweden

Team Sweden - 3rd Place

Sweden has not participated in this tournament since 1997 when they won the Silver medal. Losing to Team USA in OT cost them a chance at competing for gold this time around, however they salvaged their tournament by leaving with a bronze. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn takes a first hand look at several Swedish prospects.

Forwards: B+

There was not much depth past the top two lines. The duo of Zibanejad and Rask factored in on a majority of the scoring. Nermark did a decent job of centring the second line and generating offence but the third and fourth lines did not muster many chances nor convert on them.

Defence: A

The Swedes strength was their backend. They had a surplus of talent on their blueline with the likes of Brodin, Klefboom and Nielsen. Blessed with speed and capable puck-rushing defenders, they were able to manufacture offence while limiting shots on goal.

Goaltending: B-

Steen saw a bulk of the action but did not post good statistical numbers. With better goaltending against Team USA, the Swedes might have played for gold. Due-Boje did a good job of shutting down the Russians, kicking aside 19 shots to preserve the win.

Scouting Notes:

Stefan Steen (2011), G, Leksands IF

Despite posting below average stats in both G.A.A and save percentage, Steen managed to win three games en route to a bronze medal performance .. he did not play however, in the medal game after a crushing defeat against the Americans where he gave up six goals and a chance for Team Sweden to play for gold .. a sizeable goalie with good butterfly technique .. he has a very compact stance and does a good job of getting low to the ice to see shots from all directions .. at times, he makes himself to small in the pipes, as his pads will touch his chest and he crouches down so low .. he adopts this approach with shooters in close .. from a distance he maintains his angles by coming out to challenge .. very athletic and he is quick moving from side-to-side .. awkward puckhandler .. played for Team Sweden at the U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament and posted much better numbers .. he had an off tournament but found ways to win .. is considered Sweden's number one goaltender for this age group.

Jonas Brodin (2011), D, Skare BK

Brodin did not have a great tournament and is capable of playing much better .. his offensive production from the backend left little to be desired with a lone goal and an assist .. his game is based around his ability to produce and despite countless opportunities on the PP he simply could not convert .. a fluid skater with great lateral quickness .. he uses his skating to handle the puck at top speeds .. his passing skills were a tad inconsistent, as he could connect at times and flat out miss his mark at other times .. needs to protect the puck better .. defensively, he needs to embrace the physical side of the game more, as he appeared tentative to take a hit .. he also lost his angles on several players and was exposed in a game against Team Canada .. with additional size added he should become more comfortable, as he does have a good skill set to draw from.

Rasmus Bengtsson (2011), D, Rogle BK

Had a decent tournament, as he combines both elements of offence and defence to his game .. made several errors but showed good mental composure to come back next shift and not let it affect his game .. can pinch at inappropriate times and had a difficult time containing players down low .. however, he also showed a penchant for rushing the puck up the ice and has above-average patience with the puck to make a play .. his puckhandling skills are good as he does protect the puck well and always has his head up .. a good skater with mobility to stay with players but he simply does not know how to administer a good bodycheck .. an assistant captain, he gave the Swedes depth.

Karl Johansson (2011), D, Brynas IF

Plays bigger than his size (5'9, 155), as he is a slippery player with an above-average skill set .. assistant captain saw the ice in many game situations and fared well due to his understanding of the game .. great all-encompass mobility, he is very agile and can twist and turn in an instant to get a jump on a player .. sees the ice well and the puck is off and on his blade in an instant looking to make a play up ice .. his decisions with the puck

in shooting lanes need to be improved upon .. it is a tendency that he has to unload it quickly as he does with his passes .. his puck skills are underdeveloped as a result .. displayed a high hockey IQ without the puck to make contributions.

Oscar Klefbom (2011), D, Farjestads BK

Led the Swedes in backend scoring and he continued to get better throughout the tournament .. was one of only a few players that bothered to show up against Team Canada, a game in which they were embarrassed 5-0 .. the captain led by example by playing a simple, yet effective game doing everything well but not great .. steady, reliable defender who pushes guys to the outside as his footwork is good .. shows some ruggedness to his game but is an honest player .. fluid skater in all directions, he uses his edges well and has a good jump to his first step that allows him to converge on loose pucks .. displayed a good offensive game with his ability to execute a good first pass out of the zone .. saw second unit PP time and fared well, manufacturing offence and maintaining pressure .. a solid prospect.

Jonathan Nielsen (2011), D, Linkopings HC

Nielsen did not register a single point in this tournament, which was alarming to say the least .. he boasts a very strong, complete game .. was Sweden's best outlet passer, as his passes were crisp and accurate out of the zone .. while he was able to get the puck out of the zone he was never credited with an assist .. good size and uses it well along the boards to retrieve the puck .. he is agile to pick up loose pucks along the boards, spin in an opposite direction and make a pass .. the straw that stirred the drink on the backend, as the coaching staff leaned on him for his dependable play .. can tie up guys in front but he is not physically developed despite being a large 6-foot-3 .. he can also miss time his hits in the defensive zone and loses his position at times .. has a nice blend of skill and the potential to be a prospect that elevates his game next season.

Victor Arvidsson (2011), RW, Skelleftea AIK

Played on the top unit with Rask and Zibanejad scoring four points in the tournament .. a small, yet creative player with outstanding individual skills .. can be a pesky player to play against, as he is always buzzing around .. an average skater, his hands are sensationally fast and he has a plethora of moves at his disposal .. steps into the slot and did not hesitate to dangle in danger zones .. he manages to evade hits as his slender body cannot afford to be clipped .. at times, he will be too cute with the puck and he needs to learn to make the simple play with the puck .. size is an immediate concern but he is a proven scorer at every level he has played.

Rickard Rakell (2011), RW, AIK IF

A humbling tournament for Rakell, as he only scored one goal and it came on the PP .. came into the tournament with considerable fanfare after playing in a limited role with the U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament team .. more of a goal scorer, he has a great one timer but is also capable of making nice touch passes .. his skating holds him back, as he does not have a separation gear and the fact that he does not move his feet often makes him an easy player to cover .. showed a commitment to come back defensively but made little impact in that zone either .. played with little to no confidence and it reflected on his play .. saw key minutes but simply was not able to establish himself.

Joachim Nermark (2011), C, Leksands IF

Had a modest tournament (6-1-4-5) centring the second line .. generous size (6'0, 175), he is thicker and takes up large portions of the ice with his long stride .. fluid skater who has natural speed and can cut the ice effortlessly .. he needs to incorporate more stop and starts in his game, as he can be guilty of wide, looping circles to exit the zone .. can get caught running around in the defensive zone, as he wants to do too much and over compensates .. he can also be too casual in his clearing attempts .. good vision, he is more of a playmaker due to his passing skills .. has a difficult time accepting passes .. can get in close to create offensive chances .. ok hockey sense, at times his decisions with the puck and positioning in the offensive zone raise eyebrows.

Victor Rask (2011), LW, Leksands IF

Second in team scoring as he constantly set up Zibanejad .. recorded 8 points all on even strength .. has improved his skating and gotten thicker .. he can cycle the puck down low and gets very involved in the offensive side of the game .. his puck skills, especially his slick passing skills in close with his give and goes are very productive in generating scoring chances .. at times, he can be careless with the puck in the neutral zone and was pick pocketed routinely against the Canadians .. he can stop moving his feet and watch plays when the pace of the game picks up .. Rask is a high-end prospect whose hockey IQ makes him a strong candidate to be considered a premier NHL prospect.

Mika Zibanejad (2011), C, Djurgardens IF

The most consistent player on the roster and most dangerous .. got better as the tournament progressed, scoring clutch goals .. not a very intimidating player in terms of skill or speed but he does not need second chances to bury goals .. good hands but average feet, he does feel the game incredibly well and can anticipate better than most in terms of positioning .. he has a nose for the net .. his shot is very accurate and his release is accurate .. shows versatility in that he can blend and play well with others .. established himself as a key component to future Swedish International teams with his production at this tournament.