While North American leagues are still just starting to kick into gear, the European leagues are several weeks ahead. This means more games and tape for scouts to review, and while opinions are still being formed, they're becoming stronger by the day.

The first month or so of play has certainly reinforced the idea that, as far as Europe is concerned, this is the year of the Swedes. While Finland and Russia are both lagging behind in top talent, Sweden as a region boasts a handful of potential first-rounders and plenty of intriguing depth options afterwards.

Let’s take a look at a couple of notable prospects from the region and how they’ve started their seasons.

Victor Eklund, LW/RW, Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)

In my eyes, Victor Eklund entered the season as the top European prospect of