Red Wings look to Sweden again with the 159th overall pick — they took forward Elmer Soderblom out of Frölunda’s junior team.
Here’s what we know:
Vitals
Position: C/LW
Shoots: Left
Born: Goteburg, SWE
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 220 lbs.
Stats
Frölunda HC J20: 44 GP, 9 goals, 8 assists
What are other people saying?
Here’s what Future Considerations says:
A big forward, Soderblom could easily could be mistaken for a power forward due to his size and massive frame. He has a decent wrist shot; very powerful but its accuracy is quite average. He should use his body more offensively, though, to go harder to the net and challenge opposing defenders physically. Could make life harder on the opposition by doing so. He’s more of a stickhandler than a forward that will crash the net and throw big hits. He has trouble creating plays on his own. He has shown that he has some decent skills, can set up his teammates to make a play or dangle past an opposing player despite not being the best puck handler. He often plays at a low tempo, but stillfinds a way to make things happen offensively. He’s good at covering the puck along the boards and with his big body and upper-body strength.
Detroit just landed one of my favorite sleepers at 159. Elmer Soderblom has a lot of work to do, but he’s 6-foot-7, has really good hands and skates pretty well for a player of his size. Patience will be required, but he’s more than just a big body.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) June 22, 2019
Quick Analysis
Holy hell this guy is huge.
At six-foot-seven, 220 lbs, Soderblom already has a frame built for NHL hockey, but he looks like he’s more than a bruiser. He’s gotten a lot of praise for his soft hands. He’ll need a lot of development, but it’s really hard to ignore a guy with this size so late in the Draft. Soderblom will be a very intriguing prospect to follow. A potential Wayne Simmonds-like player?
