Scouting Reports: Sweden – Timothy Liljregren, Elias Pettersson, Oskar Lindblom, Lias Andersson, Felix Sandstrom

McKeen's Hockey welcomes Jimmy Hamrin. Jimmy lives in Sundsvall, Sweden, where he also was born. His hockey background is mostly as a writer/blogger and analyzer (both in text and broadcasting) in Sweden. Jimmy has had sporadic scouting assignments at the pro elite level in Sweden and also as a U16 scout for a Sweden-based agency. He started to write about Sweden-based prospects for hockeyprospectus last season. Twitter: @jimmyhamrin

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA - APRIL 16: Sweden's Timothy Liljegren #19 lets a shot go during preliminary round action against the U.S. at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Skating: Liljegren is a strong skater. He has great balance on his skates and good lower body strength. He doesn’t seem to need much energy to skate fast. He accelerates with ease and great control. His top speed is excellent and already at an NHL level. The agility is good and he can move smoothly across the offensive blueline or make quick turns along the boards with the puck. If there is something he could develop extra it is his ability to move quickly from forward skating to backward skating, which is hard at elite senior level but sometimes he gets beaten or caught out of position that way. Grade: 65

Shot: Liljegren has a quick wrist shot with a quick release. Sometimes his shots tend to get blocked often but he is also pretty good of getting the shots through the traffic. He can one time his slap shots with great power and has scored goals that way, even at senior level. At junior level his shot is really dangerous suggesting that when he becomes more comfortable at senior level he can become a great threat from point. Grade: 60

Skills: Liljegren has quick hands and good control of the puck at high speed. He can deke his way through and surprise his opponents. Across the blueline he is really comfortable and can fake and deke to get open space for a shot. He uses his body well with quick turns and faking to fool his opponents. He can make both great breakout passes as well when decides to pass the puck. Grade: 65

Smarts: If there is any question mark on Liljegren’s potential is that he yet has not shown to have elite potential in his decision making on the ice and he does not seem to commit to the team strategy in individual games and situations. Often, he seems to want to do too much on his own and he does not always make smart decisions, either offensively or defensively. Most of it can probably be related to a lack experience as a 17-year-old defenseman at elite senior level but I still want to put a question mark on this. With all that said, Liljegren is still a smart player, especially in the offensive part of the game where he really can see the ice well and create nice plays. Grade: 55

Physicality: Liljegren is strong for his age. He is strong on the puck, he has great balance and lower body strength. He can get knocked of the puck but mostly he can skate away from physical contact holding off his opponent with one arm and using his lower body strength and good skating ability. He is not a typical physical defenseman but has nice timing in his hits on open ice. In his own zone and along the boards he could show more aggression and determination. Grade: 55

Summary: Liljegren is a raw talent with really high potential in his game. He can become a top pair defenseman in the NHL in the future, but it is not a sure thing. He needs to show a better understanding of the whole game and he needs to figure out how to use his talents best to reach his full potential. Before this season, he was a consensus choice as a top 2 player in the upcoming draft but he has had a tough season. It started with him missing the first half with mononucleosis and then he has been playing for the worst team in the SHL with big pressure of not losing games rather than trying to win them leaving Liljegren with few opportunities to use his full potential. He has been benched for trying to play his game in situations where the team needed him to play a safe game. That led him to play some games in Allsvenskan where he was the best player on the ice some games and made too many mistakes in other games. For my part, I like the potential and I like that he is trying to use his potential to win games for his team since that is probably the best way to learn and develop, even if it means making mistakes from time to time. Defenseman usually needs more time than forwards to figure out how to use their potential in the smartest way. If you want an exciting offensive defenseman in your pipeline, Liljegren is a good top 10 pick in the upcoming draft, maybe even top 5. That said, he does not currently look to be NHL-ready on day one.

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA - APRIL 15: Sweden's Elias Pettersson #21 skates with the puck while Latvia's Vlads Vulkanovs #13 defends during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Skating: At first glance, Pettersson does not look like a fast player. He moves almost in slow motion in his body movements but when he gets tested with his skating he rarely gets beaten to the puck or caught on a breakaway. He has long strides and his strides gets him far nor does he need explosive movements to reach high speed. On breakaways he can, without moving explosively, create bigger room between him and chasing defenders. The best asset in his skating abilities is his agility. He can make quick turns that fool his opponents. The balance on his skates is good even if his agile moves can fool even himself and sometimes causing him to trip. Grade: 55

Shot: Pettersson’s wrist shot is really good. His accuracy is tremendous and he has developed his ability to shoot the puck quicker this season. He can score from many angles and uses his shot in a smart way. He rarely uses his slap shot but when he does he usually hits his target. He is more of a passer than a shooter but he has the potential of being a good goal scorer even though he will probably be a great playmaker first.  Grade: 60

Skills: Pettersson is a really creative and effective player. He has great puck skills in both deking and passing the puck. He is very dangerous controlling the right slot on a power play and making precise passes and setting up teammates for great scoring chances. He has great control over the puck and can fool any opponent when he is given the space to do so. He can also control the puck at top speed and on a breakaway. He has many moves and is effective on penalty shots. Grade: 65

Smarts: In his best games, I would want to put an even higher grade here. Pettersson sees the ice almost always better than any other player on the ice. He has fast decision making and it is almost like he has a sixth sense knowing everything that is going on. The reason his grade here is not even higher is that he goes through slumps in his game where he seems to not make decisions as good as he usually does. He can be overly creative rather than making more simple plays when those are needed or would be more effective. Defensively he is smart as well. He backchecks well and reads the defensive side of the game well. He detects danger and can respond accordingly. He can be used effectively as both center and a winger.  Grade: 65

Physicality Pettersson is still a skinny teenager that has grown about six inches the last three years. Obviously, he has to muscle up to play in the NHL. He did have a tough time being as effective on the smaller rinks at WJC as he is in the bigger rinks in Sweden. He has good balance on his skates but can too easily get pushed around by bigger opponents. He is at least cognizant of his lack of strength. He does not try to push back when he is caught and instead he saves energy and just stands against the board with his good balance and keeps the puck on his skates and when the opponent loosens up his grip, Pettersson beats him with a quick surprising move in the next move. He rarely hits opponents and if he does they are usually proactive hits to protect the puck on his stick, where he can be effective. Grade: 40

Summary: Pettersson is a mesmerizing player with a great skill set and an even greater hockey IQ. He is a playmaker that can score and he can play both center and winger, although I like him more as a center. His WJC showed that he has yet to figure out the physically tighter and faster North American game. His playing at that tournament was better than his stats though as he was a bit snakebitten. He has the potential to become a first line player in the NHL but he will need a couple of years to grow into his body and get stronger and more consistent. This season in Allsvenskan he has been really consistent in his production. He has been a big riser on many rankings. I can see him becoming one of the best players in the draft if he reaches his full potential but the question might be if he is too far from being NHL ready for top picking GMs to take a chance on him as high as top 5-10.

Skating: Lindblom is a good skater and has good balance and agility but lacks an extra edge in his top speed. He is pretty quick and moves fast in short distances and often beats his opponents to loose pucks. He is strong on his skates and rarely gets knocked off the puck when he carries it. He has the speed to transport the puck from his own end to the offensive end in games. Grade: 55

Shot: Lindblom is a good goal scorer with a good wrist shot and a quick snap shot. He scores most of his goals from close range but can score from outside the slot as well. On a power play he is best used in the slot or close around the net. He is good at finding deflections and is strong in getting shots on goal in high traffic. Grade: 55

Skills: Lindblom is really good with the puck along the boards and around the crease. He has good control in tight areas and has nice deking skills. His passing of the puck is good and often precise. He has the ability to create good scoring chances out of almost nothing. Grade: 60

Smarts: Lindblom is a really smart offensive player that has a nice sense of finding scoring chances with a great ability to be at the right spot at the right time. He also sees his teammates well when he has the puck and continually makes smart plays with it. Even though he is the best point producer on his team he is not the player that drives the line in all zones. He is more a player that finds the smart plays without the puck and then creates quickly when he gets the puck. He is an offensive player first but he takes care of his defensive duties as well. He is a smart forechecker that reads his opponents well and creates steals that way. Grade: 60

Physicality Lindblom has good size and great balance. He is good at covering the puck and making offensive hits “Forsberg style”. He is strong along the boards and thanks to that ability he is a dangerous player from behind the net. He is not a physical player but he is strong enough to be able to use his strength to win puck battles at a high level. Grade: 55

Summary: Lindblom is not quite an elite offensive talent that has taken nice steps in his development every year since he was drafted by Philadelphia. I could really see him playing regularly in the NHL next season. He needs to play in a top six role to be effective but I believe that he is good enough to do so. He is a good complementary player in an offensive line that can be effective with an elite centremen that drives the play. Lindblom is the player you want to have around the crease in the modern NHL. He has the speed, the technical skills, the smarts and the balance to be an effective slot player in the NHL.

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA - APRIL 16: Sweden's Lias Andersson #26 plays the puck while USA's Zachary Walker #15 looks on during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Skating: Andersson is a fast and powerful skater that can use his skating to drive the play. He has great lower body strength and rarely get knocked off the puck and has shown great ability to translate his game to the SHL level already. He is agile and quick in tight situations as well. Grade: 60

Shot: The HV71 teenager has a very good shot. He often scores from distance and he shoots the puck fast with a quick release. He is also very good at shooting the puck undetected and you often don’t see his shot coming. He most often uses his snap shot and is effective with it. Grade: 60

Skills: Andersson has good puck control and is strong on the puck. He is a solid passer as well. For an elite talent, he lacks some creativity and high talent puck skills though. He is more an effective simple play center than a puck wizard. With that said I would not grade his puck skills as average or below average. He has good hand-eye coordination and he does not need the passes to be right on his blade. He is good at retrieving and quick getting control of bad passes and puck bounces. The way he can quickly shoot from those pucks is also impressive. Grade: 55

Smarts: Andersson is a good two way center that takes care of his team’s needs and he can be used in various roles. He can play both PK and power play and do it well. On a power play he is best served as a shooter in the slot. He works hard and can adept fast to a team’s system. He both forechecks and backchecks well. For that he deserves a good grade but the lack of elite creativity puts the grade lower than elite. He is solid and very mature for his age but not a standout player. Grade: 55

Physicality: This is a strong player. He is not especially tall but has a nice stature and already weighs approximately 200 pounds. He has great balance and is strong in puck battles. He does not shy away from those battles and often wins them. He is driven and intense in his game and tough to play against in that way. Grade: 55

Summary: Lias Andersson is a good bet to make the NHL on a regular basis. Depending on his future development I can see him becoming anything from a second line center to a bottom six center for an NHL team and being effective in any of those roles. He has the offensive drive, the shot and good enough skills to suggest him reaching the level of being a second line center at the highest level. He lacks the high end offensive talent necessary to be a first line center. For the upcoming draft I would be surprised if he is not a first round pick and would look about righ anywhere in the top 20. He is a safer bet than Liljegren or Pettersson as he is not as raw and is a bit further ahead in his development as of today but he does not have the same level of top skills and high end potential as those two.

Athleticism/Quickness/Speed: Sandstrom moves quickly in the crease. He is fast at getting himself into the right position as well as in moving sideways and has decent reaction speed. The athleticism could be a bit better, though. He is not particularly strong on edge plays, meaning that he is not strong in making saves when he is out of position. All in all, he moves well and is a quick enough goalie to reach the NHL. Grade: 55

Temperament/Compete: Sandstrom has great focus. He rarely loses his game and had consistently good performances as a starter for Sweden at the WJC. Still, he has not shown that he is a goalie that can come up and totally steal a big game. He can display anger at referees at times but stays calm in game situations and can shake off an ugly goal or rough play in his crease. Grade: 55

Vision/Play Reading: Sandstrom is good at keeping his eye on the puck and moves adroitly with the puck. His quickness sideways is helped tremendously by his ability to read cross ice passes. His calmness is also derived from his ability to read plays and he rarely is surprised by the approach taken by his opponents. Grade: 55

Style/Technique: The Brynas netminder is a butterfly goalie with consistent technique. He holds his glove low in his basic position leaving the high net open for shooters. As with most goalies playing that way it can be deceiving because they tend to cheat in getting the glove high and thus opens up a gap between his arm and legs. The same goes for when he gets down on his knees. Positionally, he moves the same way in the same situations. He has a plan for every common situation and is schooled well that way. He rarely chases the puck and rarely moves outside the crease. On shots from long range he stands at the top of the crease and he backs in closer towards the goal line depending on how the close the shot is ultimately fired. Sometimes, he misjudges those situations and does not get as far out as he needs to and leaves too much net open. He is strong with his paddle down when forwards crash the net or when the puck is near him in high traffic. He needs to work on more details in his game, such as getting his smaller movements to be both tighter and more flexible when he needs to be. Grade: 55

Rebound Control: In stressed situations, he tends be more of a puck stopper than a puck grabber. His glove hand is pretty quick though and he is good at holding on to the puck. All in all, his rebound control is good. Opponents usually need to get high pressure on Sandstrom for him to lose control of where the puck is going. Grade: 55

Puck Handling: He rarely leaves his crease. He has good control with his stick but he keeps it to short simple passes. Grade: 45

Summary: Sandstrom is one of the best goalie prospects in Sweden right now. As a junior he shares the work load evenly with a veteran goalie in the SHL and was Sweden’s number one goalie in the WJC. I see Sandstrom eventually making the NHL but probably not as a regular starter. He lacks the edge plays and the ability to completely shut down an opponent. Goalie prospects are harder to project than skaters, partially as they have more room for improvement and their prime usually arrives later in their careers. Sandstrom’s strength are in his consistent movements and in his ability to keep his focus and to track where the puck is heading. He is not ready for NHL now and if he takes the step over to North America next season he would probably need to see a season or two in the minors before stepping in at the big league level. Philadelphia has a pretty deep goalie pool of prospects as well, which should allow Sandstrom as much time as he needs to hone his development.