What you see is what you get with Jacob Olofsson.
He’s a 6-foot-2, 192-pound centre, which is an NHL frame, and projected to be a late first-rounder in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The tools are all there. Olofsson thinks the game well, he moves well for a player his size, he plays at both ends of the ice, shoots well and is capable of making plays.
Here’s the skinny on this Swedish prospect.
Team: Timra IK (Sweden)
Position: C
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
From: Pitea, Sweden
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 192 pounds
A DIFFERENT LEAGUE
Oloffson, 18, has yet to graduate to the Swedish Elite League, but he impressed in the Allsvenskan and grew by leaps and bounds from when he first started playing there last season.
In Olofsson’s rookie year, he didn’t register a single point in 14 games with Timra. But in 2017-18, Olofsson scored 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in 43 games, making him the fifth-highest scorer on the team.
NO FLASH, BUT PLENTY OF UPSIDE
Back in December’s draft rankings, Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino said this about Olofsson: “Nothing about his game jumps out at you, but then again there are few if any glaring weaknesses. He does lean slightly towards the power forward end of the spectrum with his puck protection abilities and strength.”
CSS Europe Skater Rankings:
1. Rasmus Dahlin
2. Adam Boqvist
3. Vitali Kravtsov
4. Martin Kaut
5. Adam Ginning
6. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
7. Grigori Denisenko
8. Isac Lundestrom
9. Jacob Olofsson
10. Filip Johansson pic.twitter.com/V4mWT8lKoS— SiriusXM NHL Network (@SiriusXMNHL) June 20, 2018
STEADY INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
Oloffson was a final cut to Sweden’s World Junior Championship roster, but has been a rather steady producer in other international events for his country.
He had a goal and an assist in Sweden’s championship bid at last year’s World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He had three assists at the 2018 World U-18s, and he had two goals and four points in five games as Sweden captured Bronze at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
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