Faceoff Factor

How Swede It Is

Jesse Marshall | NHL Entry Draft

Sep 15, 04:01 PM | Hype this story!

If you’re a fan of Scandinavian hockey players, you’re going to be chomping at the bit heading into this year’s NHL entry draft.

Over a year ago, draft guru’s and hockey analysts had already prepared a coronation for John Tavares. Coming off of a 72 goal, 134 point season, Tavares seemed untouchable.

Now, heading into his draft year, the young Canadian has several players hot on his trail.

Three of them come from Sweden, but they aren’t limited to there. Dare I say it, but this might be the biggest Scandinavian draft of all time. That being said, let’s highlight a few of the Swede’s to keep an eye on this season.

If we’re going to talk about Swede’s in the draft, especially those that can compete for the number one spot, we have to start with Victor Hedman. Does the name Ornskoldsvi ring a bell? Probably not, but it’s the small town in Sweden that has produced hockey greats such as Markus Naslund, Peter Forsberg, and the Sedin twins. You guessed it; it’s the same place Hedman himself hails from.

If you’re going to discuss Hedman, you have to start with the sheer size that he brings to the table. Hedman weighs in at 6’5, 220 lbs, and can move that frame with the best of them. For how large he is, his skating is fluid and sharp.

His instincts on both ends of the ice are great. Offensively, Hedman can create offensive rushes with both his passing and his skating. He gets to open spaces on the point and has an extremely powerful shot. Hedman can get away with pinching, because as I said above, his skating is such a strong point.

That’s not to discount what he can do in the defensive zone, either. Hedman is very apt in his own end and, again, his mobility becomes his strong suit.

However, at 6’5, Hedman doesn’t use his size nearly enough. He needs to become more active in front of his own goal and muscle players away from the puck. His size is daunting, but it needs to become a regular aspect of his game.

Moving on down the line in the Swedish Elite League, we find a center that could certainly slip under the radar of a few teams this season.

Heading into last year’s draft, I praised Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion for his consistency at every level of play. He was chosen at #10 overall by the Vancouver Canucks.

Well, here is the Swedish version of Cody Hodgson.

Jacob Josefson is the model of consistency in the SEL. His game is apt in every zone and he goes about at a point per game pace. He doesn’t have the flash that a Tavares does, and his game is one that could be unappreciated by the casual fan.

The 6’0, 180 lb. left handed center can pass, shoot, hit and skate with just about anyone, as evidenced by the 31 points (14+17) in 34 games he had as a 17 year old SuperElit player.

Can Josefson surpass the Tavares hype? Maybe, but probably not; he doesn’t have the flash or the skill of a number one overall pick. However, it wouldn’t be a long shot to consider Josefson a lock for a top 10 spot, and certainly another player that could put Sweden back on the hockey map in a big way.

Finally, we make another stop in the Swedish Elite League, this time at Timrå.

Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson is an offensive dynamo coming out of SuperElit, where he scored 22 points (7+15) for the J20 league.

At 6’1, 198lbs, Pääjärvi (pronounced Pae-e-jaervi) is a gifted offensive sniper. His one on one abilities are great and he can stick handle in a phone booth. Pääjärvi is also a great playmaker; his offensive vision is second to none.

However, at this point, many argue that the cons outweigh the pros. Magnus has trouble in the defensive zone and his work ethic has been called into question on numerous occasions.

The good thing here is that both of these things are not only commonplace for young hockey prospects, but they’re fixable and coachable. At this point, MSP’s offensive upside is through the roof, and if his all around game comes together, he could certainly pose a threat to a top spot at the end of the year.

Regardless of the case, with these three Swede’s on the map, one can easily see that Tavares’ stance atop the rankings isn’t as sure as we might have thought.