Prospects get their shot with the Swedish national team
Several Swedish prospects will get their chance to don the yellow and blue jersey. On Sunday, four junior aged players were named to the Swedish national team that will face off in two games against Slovakia this upcoming week.
The biggest surprise is without a doubt goalie Olof Lindbom of Djurgården. The 17 year-old became Swedish U18 champion with his team on Saturday, stopping 27 out of 28 shots in a 3–1 gold-medal victory against Modo, but has yet to play against men on the senior level in Sweden. The draft eligible netminder, ranked fourth among European goalies by Central Scouting, has mostly played with Djurgården’s U20 squad this season. He’s expected to be the starting goalie for the Swedish U18 WJC in Russia later this month.
Among the more prominent prospects in the squad, draft eligible defensemen Adam Boqvist, Brynäs, and Adam Ginning, Linköping, stick out. Boqvist is slotted to be picked among the top ten players in this summer’s draft, but hasn’t played a whole lot of hockey in the Swedish top league this season. On the other hand, he’s been dominant in the junior circuit with 14 goals and 24 points in 25 games with Brynäs’ U20 team.
Ginning, more of a stay-at-home defensemen, has played regular minutes in the SHL for the past few months. He looks like he could be drafted early in the second round in June, although some scouting services have him ranked among the 31 first players.
The fourth junior aged player on coach Rikard Grönborg’s squad is Vegas’ prospect Erik Brännström, choosen 15th overall in Chicago last summer. The 18 year-old defenseman had a strong finish to the season with HV71 and was expected to go to the US to play with Golden Knights’ farm team Chicago Wolves of the AHL. When he was informed he had a chance to play with the national team, both him and Vegas saw that as an excellent opportunity to get even more international experience.
Among the rest of the players on this squad, there are several who could end up in the NHL next season. Undrafted Lawrence Pilut of HV71 was the highest scoring defensemen in the SHL with 38 points (8+30) in 52 games. The 22 year-old is a sought after free agent for NHL teams looking for a skill on the back end.
Färjestad’s Michael Lindqvist is also a free agent a lot of NHL teams are inquiring about. The 23 year-old right winger had 20 goals and 34 points in 33 games as a rookie. He was one of only five players that played more than 20 games in the SHL and averaged a point per game or more.
Other intriguing prospects that will be given the chance to strut their stuff by Grönborg is Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Carl Grundström, Buffalo Sabres drafted duo Victor Olofsson, who won the Swedish goal-scoring title with 27 tallies in 50 games, and Rasmus Asplund, as well as Pittsburgh Penguins fifth rounder Linus Ölund.
GOALIES
35. Magnus Hellberg, Kunlun Red Star (KHL)
39. Olof Lindbom, Djurgården U20
DEFENSEMEN
2. Adam Boqvist, Brynäs
4. Adam Ginning, Linköping
5. Adam Almqvist, Frölunda
6. Mikael Wikstrand, Färjestad
8. Linus Arnesson, Örebro
14. John Nyberg, Frölunda
21. Lawrence Pilut, HV71
22. Jonathan Andersson, Örebro
26. Erik Brännström, HV71
FORWARDS
3. Carl Grundström, Frölunda
7. Patrick Cehlin, Luleå
9. Anton Rödin, Bern (SUI)
11. Victor Olofsson, Frölunda
15. Rasmus Asplund, Färjestad
16. Joakim Nygård, Färjestad
19. Patrik Zackrisson, Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)
28 Johan Sundström, Avangard Omsk (KHL)
34. Michael Lindqvist, Färjestad
36. Linus Ölund, Brynäs
37. John Norman, Jokerit (KHL)
44. Olle Liss, Rögle
48. Carl Klingberg, Zug (SUI)
