Philip Broberg – AIK (Allsvenskan)
Bio:
Position: D (Left-handed)
Birthday: 25 June 2001
Age on Draft Day: 17
Height/Weight: 6’3”/203
2018-19 Stats: 41 GP, 2G, 7A for AIK. 5GP, 3G, 1A for Swedish U18 in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Rankings (as of May 21):
17th – Future Considerations
5th (for Euro Skaters) – Central Scouting
33rd – Elite Prospects
8th – Bob McKenzie
9th – Corey Pronman (High End NHL Prospect – “Projects as a legit top-line forward who can play on your PP1/top pairing defenseman”)
About:
On an episode of the Fer Sure podcast last year, Jay and I talked to Will from the website Scouching. He has made a solid reputation for himself doing scouting from his couch, hence the name. We had a short side conversation about best names in the upcoming draft class, and one that stuck in my head was Broberg. Obviously, for this profile I thought it would be helpful to do more than talk about how cool his name is, so here we go.
I reached out again to Will to ask him his updated opinion of the 17 year old Swedish defenseman. Here’s what he had to say:
Really polarizing. Really strong skater for someone his size, really aggressive with the puck on his stick. Almost like a “power defenseman” and can really drive pucks up the ice and protect pucks well. His decision making and defensive metrics leave quite a bit to be desired, so he may be a bit of a project, but the tools he brings are valuable and projectable. Gambling on his skating/size/puck protection isn’t a bad bet, but there are areas of the game where he will need work.
I also reached out to Dennis Schellenberg, Europe Head Scout for Future Considerations.
What, if anything makes you think that Philip Broberg could be a bust?
Schellenberg: “Broberg has shown some inconsistency over the season. He had a strong Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18 Worlds but some rough outings in between. Also he has been caught too offensively too many times with AIK in the second highest Swedish league. However, it is a league that is slightly underrated and it is normal at his age to go through that process.”
What, if anything, makes you think that he may turn out better than his projection?
Schellenberg: Broberg’s upside is real high. His size in combination with speed and overall skating is really intriguing. Sure, he has flaws in his game and a few red flags, but he’ll mature his game and develop into the right direction. If he can put all pieces together, he’s going to become a heck of a player.
I’m including two videos below. The first is Broberg’s highlights from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The second is a shift-by-shift look at a game against Switzerland in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Broberg would be a reach at the #6 spot, and I don’t imagine Detroit is considering him there. It looks like he will be gone by the time Detroit picks in the second round, but depending on the cost, I’d be open to looking to move up with our second pick to take him.
Should the Red Wings look into trading up to take Broberg with their second pick? (Assuming fair value for a trade)
| Yes | 225 |
| No | 161 |
