Swedish center William Karlsson doesn't get a great deal of attention, but even if he doesn't have the same kind of skill level and NHL upside as Red Wings 2010 second-rounder Calle Järnkrok from last season, Karlsson has had a similar rise up draft boards with a strong performance in 2010-11.
A standout with Västerås of the J20 (under-20) junior division and with the senior Allsvenskan club after getting called up, Karlsson is only of average size (6-0, 185) but is a good skater with excellent hockey sense and the hands to get things done offensively. He and the small, but dangerous winger Gustav Björklund formed a pretty dangerous duo there on the Västerås jr. club and then carried it over to the World Under-18 Championships. Björklund tied Mika Zibanejad in scoring for Team Sweden with eight points, while Karlsson finished with a solid two goals, five points in six games to win the silver medal.
Karlsson posted 30 goals and 54 points in 38 junior games and then got a chance to skate with the second division pro team, playing in 14 contests and going 1-3-4 in that span. (Björklund joined him at the same time on the pro club, going 1-2-3).
Karlsson doesn't jump out at you when you watch him play, but he's got shifty moves and can really see the ice and anticipate the play as it unfolds. Plays with a real high compete level and energy; goes to the net and is able to handle the puck well in traffic. Can score and set up the play.
Needs to get a lot stronger, but B2011DW sees Karlsson as a guy who is a strong candidate for an off-the-board early selection at the draft because his developmental curve is steep, and he's really come on this season. An NHL team with a strong European presence (ahem, Detroit ahem) seems like a logical landing spot for a guy like this.
Karlsson is underrated, unappreciated by hockey fans in North America (though we suspect that Swedes and the few draftniks who follow European hockey closely) but is someone worth paying attention to. He's been productive and has upside. This kid isn't getting much ink now, but could generate a good buzz going forward because he has so many the attributes teams are looking for.
Red Line Report has been on Karlsson's case for much of the season, and had a strong write-up on him back in February.
*(Not affiliated with the Boston Bruins or the New England Hockey Journal)
Showing posts with label Gustav Björklund. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gustav Björklund. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
2011 World Under-18 Championship: Sleepers
We're back with a look at a few sleepers who weren't big names for the 2011 NHL Draft, but may have done enough to raise their stock as solid selections worth spending picks on.
Sleepers
Nick Cousins, F Canada- One of the most impressive forwards for Team Canada at the tournament, scoring four goals and eight points and far outshining higher-profile Soo teammate Daniel Catenacci (to put it charitably). Fast, agile and bright- Cousins has quick hands and made money by going to the net throughout and paying the price to make the play. We can't say enough about how good this kid looked- didn't get a lot of attention because of where he plays in the OHL, but scouts are certainly tracking him now.
Gustav Björklund, F Sweden- Small, but speedy winger shared the team lead in points with Mika Zibanejad with eight. Darting, opportunistic little guy who displayed nice hockey sense and a nose for the net. Accurate shot with a quick release. We didn't even know who this kid was before the tourney, but we do now. His second period goal was nearly the game-winner for the Swedes.
Albin Blomkvist, D Sweden- Another revelation for B2011DW. Big kid at 6-3, 196, skated well and scored a nice goal against the Americans by jumping in from the point and wiring a hard wrister through a screen to beat John Gibson cleanly to the glove side. From what we saw, played with a bit of an edge. Makes some big hits and plays with some meanness to his game. Solid breakout passer and looked like some solid long-term developmental potential with this kid.
Markus Granlund, F Finland- Small playmaker showed intelligence, patience and soft hands for setting up the play. Obviously nowhere near the talent of his older brother Mikael, but blood lines could come into play with this guy. Not very strong- gets knocked off the puck and tends to play out on the perimeter as many smaller dudes do, but he was consistent and worked hard for the overmatched Finns who were playing from behind too much of the time because of the lack of good goaltending. Strong competitor who has some of his brother's positive characteristics and could make himself into a similar if lower-end player eventually.
Steffen Soberg, G Norway- Sub 6-footer is extremely agile, quick and real competitor despite playing for cellar-dweller Norway. Posted a 1-5 record, yet kept his team in every game we saw, posting a .930 save percentage even though he gave up an average of 3.90 goals. Wow. 317 shots against in just six games means he was saw 50 or more shots in every single game (including a tourney-high 63 unloaded on him by Canada), stopping 295 of them. His size works against him, as does the fact that he comes from Norway (ED. note: We don't mean this as a swipe at Norway- sure it is a delightful country with terrific people, but from an NHL standpoint, it is not seen as a prime producer of hockey talent and the lack of talent was reflected in the team's record at the WJC and U18), but could he be a late-round flyer? Possibly. All European players must be drafted, so fans need not wonder if an NHL team can invite Soberg to camp and sign him as a free agent if he gets passed over. It's draft or bust when it comes to Euros, so keep an eye on this guy. He did have a tremendous tourney, finishing second to only Andrei Vasilevski (.936) in save percentage
Sleepers
Nick Cousins, F Canada- One of the most impressive forwards for Team Canada at the tournament, scoring four goals and eight points and far outshining higher-profile Soo teammate Daniel Catenacci (to put it charitably). Fast, agile and bright- Cousins has quick hands and made money by going to the net throughout and paying the price to make the play. We can't say enough about how good this kid looked- didn't get a lot of attention because of where he plays in the OHL, but scouts are certainly tracking him now.
Gustav Björklund, F Sweden- Small, but speedy winger shared the team lead in points with Mika Zibanejad with eight. Darting, opportunistic little guy who displayed nice hockey sense and a nose for the net. Accurate shot with a quick release. We didn't even know who this kid was before the tourney, but we do now. His second period goal was nearly the game-winner for the Swedes.
Albin Blomkvist, D Sweden- Another revelation for B2011DW. Big kid at 6-3, 196, skated well and scored a nice goal against the Americans by jumping in from the point and wiring a hard wrister through a screen to beat John Gibson cleanly to the glove side. From what we saw, played with a bit of an edge. Makes some big hits and plays with some meanness to his game. Solid breakout passer and looked like some solid long-term developmental potential with this kid.
Markus Granlund, F Finland- Small playmaker showed intelligence, patience and soft hands for setting up the play. Obviously nowhere near the talent of his older brother Mikael, but blood lines could come into play with this guy. Not very strong- gets knocked off the puck and tends to play out on the perimeter as many smaller dudes do, but he was consistent and worked hard for the overmatched Finns who were playing from behind too much of the time because of the lack of good goaltending. Strong competitor who has some of his brother's positive characteristics and could make himself into a similar if lower-end player eventually.
Steffen Soberg, G Norway- Sub 6-footer is extremely agile, quick and real competitor despite playing for cellar-dweller Norway. Posted a 1-5 record, yet kept his team in every game we saw, posting a .930 save percentage even though he gave up an average of 3.90 goals. Wow. 317 shots against in just six games means he was saw 50 or more shots in every single game (including a tourney-high 63 unloaded on him by Canada), stopping 295 of them. His size works against him, as does the fact that he comes from Norway (ED. note: We don't mean this as a swipe at Norway- sure it is a delightful country with terrific people, but from an NHL standpoint, it is not seen as a prime producer of hockey talent and the lack of talent was reflected in the team's record at the WJC and U18), but could he be a late-round flyer? Possibly. All European players must be drafted, so fans need not wonder if an NHL team can invite Soberg to camp and sign him as a free agent if he gets passed over. It's draft or bust when it comes to Euros, so keep an eye on this guy. He did have a tremendous tourney, finishing second to only Andrei Vasilevski (.936) in save percentage
Three-peat for USA at World Under-18s
Defenseman Connor Murphy had the game of his young life, scoring twice including an overtime strike to give Team USA a come-from-behind sudden death victory over Sweden by a 4-3 score.
The goal had a little controversy in that it was scored as an American power play expired. Swedish captain Oscar Klefbom was called for holding when he took down Rocco Grimaldi as the little dynamo drove to the net for a scoring chance.
Murphy rifled a blast into the far side past netminder Niklas Lundstrom after his initial drive was blocked. When the puck bounced right back onto his stick, he re-cocked and fired, catching Lundstrom on his knees in anticipation of the initial shot. The goaltender may have been screened by the prone defenseman and didn't see the puck come screaming off of Murphy's stick until it was too late to react.
USA never led in the contest, falling behind in the first period on an early goal by Filip Forsberg. '94 defenseman Jacob Trouba tied the game with just eight seconds left in the opening frame with his only goal of the tourney.
Sweden got it going later in the second when Albin Blomkvist took a pass at the point, stepped up into the zone and ripped a hard wrist shot that beat goaltender John Gibson high to the glove side. Moments later, Gustav Björklund took a drop pass on a Sweden rush and fired it home to give his team what looked like an insurmountable 3-1 lead with 20 minutes left.
However, Murphy started the comeback with a score in the first two minutes of the final period to give the Americans hope. Although they had chances, they couldn't solve Lundstrom as time bled off the final clock and it appeared that Sweden would grab its first-ever Under-18 gold medal.
However, with just 1:29 left in the game, Reid Boucher, whose name was synonymous with "clutch" all tournament long, took a J.T. Miller pass, broke into the clear on a 2-on-1, and wired the puck into the net to send the game to overtime.
When Murphy scored, he secured USA Hockey's first-ever three-peat at the IIHF's Under-18 Championship. Coach Ron Rolston also earned his third gold medal.
For Sweden, it was a tough way to lose- getting called in overtime, but they played with fire all game, taking Grimaldi down in several cases, and not getting called for it. While one might argue that the penalties should have been called then and not in OT, the flip side of that argument is that the Swedes knew they were playing a dangerous game. By continuing to test the referees' patience, they finally got burned.
Miller, Gibson and defenseman/team captain Robbie Russo were named Team USA's three best players for the tournament, while Gibson also earned all-tournament honors as top goalie. Ryan Murphy (Canada) and Nikita Kucherov were named top defenseman and forward.
In any case, B2011DW salutes Team USA and all the teams for an excellent tournament. We will have more in-depth player recaps and observations to bring you in the coming days, but for now, the focus will shift back to the CHL playoffs, with all major junior leagues playing their respective semifinal series.
The goal had a little controversy in that it was scored as an American power play expired. Swedish captain Oscar Klefbom was called for holding when he took down Rocco Grimaldi as the little dynamo drove to the net for a scoring chance.
Murphy rifled a blast into the far side past netminder Niklas Lundstrom after his initial drive was blocked. When the puck bounced right back onto his stick, he re-cocked and fired, catching Lundstrom on his knees in anticipation of the initial shot. The goaltender may have been screened by the prone defenseman and didn't see the puck come screaming off of Murphy's stick until it was too late to react.
USA never led in the contest, falling behind in the first period on an early goal by Filip Forsberg. '94 defenseman Jacob Trouba tied the game with just eight seconds left in the opening frame with his only goal of the tourney.
Sweden got it going later in the second when Albin Blomkvist took a pass at the point, stepped up into the zone and ripped a hard wrist shot that beat goaltender John Gibson high to the glove side. Moments later, Gustav Björklund took a drop pass on a Sweden rush and fired it home to give his team what looked like an insurmountable 3-1 lead with 20 minutes left.
However, Murphy started the comeback with a score in the first two minutes of the final period to give the Americans hope. Although they had chances, they couldn't solve Lundstrom as time bled off the final clock and it appeared that Sweden would grab its first-ever Under-18 gold medal.
However, with just 1:29 left in the game, Reid Boucher, whose name was synonymous with "clutch" all tournament long, took a J.T. Miller pass, broke into the clear on a 2-on-1, and wired the puck into the net to send the game to overtime.
When Murphy scored, he secured USA Hockey's first-ever three-peat at the IIHF's Under-18 Championship. Coach Ron Rolston also earned his third gold medal.
For Sweden, it was a tough way to lose- getting called in overtime, but they played with fire all game, taking Grimaldi down in several cases, and not getting called for it. While one might argue that the penalties should have been called then and not in OT, the flip side of that argument is that the Swedes knew they were playing a dangerous game. By continuing to test the referees' patience, they finally got burned.
Miller, Gibson and defenseman/team captain Robbie Russo were named Team USA's three best players for the tournament, while Gibson also earned all-tournament honors as top goalie. Ryan Murphy (Canada) and Nikita Kucherov were named top defenseman and forward.
In any case, B2011DW salutes Team USA and all the teams for an excellent tournament. We will have more in-depth player recaps and observations to bring you in the coming days, but for now, the focus will shift back to the CHL playoffs, with all major junior leagues playing their respective semifinal series.
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