Swedish defencemen are well-represented at this year’s draft, thanks in large part to consensus No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin.
But for those teams not named the Buffalo Sabres, there are several other notable Swedish rearguards getting noticed from this year’s draft class, continuing the Scandinavian tradition of producing strong NHL-calibre blue liners. Take Nils Lundkvist, for example, who surprised many in the hockey world by jumping into possible first-rounder status.
He even surprised himself.
“After Christmas, I started to notice that a lot of teams started to pay attention and wanted to talk to me,” Lundkvist told Swedish hockey reporter Uffe Bodin. “It kind of exploded, which is really cool. If you had asked me a year ago, I would never have dreamed this would happen.”
When you look at his skillset, though, it’s not at all surprising that it did. Here’s what you need to know about Lundkvist.
Team: Luleå HF
Position: Defence
Shoots: Right
Age: 17
From: Piteå, SWE
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 174 pounds
HE’S ONE OF THE FASTEST RISERS IN THE RANKINGS
As we noted above, Lundkvist has seen his stock rise rapidly over the course of the 2017-18 season. The 17-year-old was ranked 41st among European skaters in the mid-term rankings and finished the year sitting 14th, with some suggesting we could hear his name called late Friday night.
Not only was he a natural fit playing among men in the Swedish hockey league upon his promotion to the big club, he also turned heads while playing for the national team. He represented Sweden on the under-18 circuit three times in 2017-18, helping Sweden claim bronze during the under-18 World Championship.
He registered two goals and three assists in 28 SHL games — a notoriously tough defensive league — as well as three goals and 11 assists through 26 Swedish junior league games.
HE’S STRONGEST WHEN CARRYING THE PUCK
Lundkvist may not be the biggest blue liner on his future NHL team’s roster, but what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in smarts. He’s efficient with the puck, a skill he honed while playing amongst men as a 17-year-old in Sweden’s top league.
In fact, he got plenty of opportunity to develop as a rookie with Lulea, quickly earning the coach’s trust as a regular rearguard on the rotation. His 16 minutes of playing time per game was third among his fellow teenage peers — of all SHL defencemen under 20 years old, only Dahlin and 2017 first rounder Erik Brännström saw more ice time than Lundkvist.
According to Eliteprospects.com, Lundkvist is a “mobile puck-moving defenceman who likes to make quick decisions and join the rush.” That’s music to most scout’s ears, especially as the league continues to move in the direction of speed over size.
In addition to his strong SHL showing all season, Lundkvist also turned a few heads at the scouting combine. He put up top-10 showings in all four ‘jump’ categories — vertical, squat, no arm, standing long jump — which can indicate how explosive an athlete a prospect can be.
FOLLOWING IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS
When it came time to take his hockey to the next level, Lundkvist followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Jan Sandström, who became a Luleå legend over the course of his 17 years with the Swedish Elite League club. The two got to spend a season as teammates before Sandström’s retirement.
“Before one of the games, we got to sit next to each other in the dressing room. That was incredibly cool, almost like a dream come true,” Lundkvist told Bodin. “And to be a part of his last game and see how the fans paid tribute to him, that was out of this world. I was incredibly proud that he was my uncle.”
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