Red Wings stick with the forwards to start the 2nd round — they take Swedish winger Jonatan Berggren at 33rd overall.
“Detroit was my favorite club growing up.” – @Jberggren48 #DRWDRAFT pic.twitter.com/AwXaSScEyD
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 23, 2018
The Vitals
Age: 17
Hometown: Uppsala, SWE
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs
Position: RW
What the experts say
An agile forward, he can buzz with the puck. Very quick on his skates. He’s hard to catch. A pain to defend.
His low balance makes his hard for bigger and stronger players to knock him down. He plays a very high-paced and intense brand of hockey. He is constantly looking for ways to beat his opponents and generate offense. He is a constant threat when the puck is in his possession. Elusive, according to scouts. He has quick hands and can beat defenders one-on-one. The way he can handle the puck at high speeds is impressive. His vision and awareness allow him to escape tight situations. He shows great composure with the puck, reading opponents, and waiting to make the correct play. He can operate the point on the power play – and he has shown he can score. When he steps in from the blue line – a common occurrence – he can unleash his goal- scorer’s wrist shot, snappy and accurate. Plus, he competes very hard in all three zones. Defensively, he fights hard to win puck battles, backchecking with passion, trying to pickpocket the attackers. A bit of a thief that way. This is a player with a very diverse set of tools. On the ice, he’s a leader, chatting constantly with his teammates. But he can also show frustration when calls by the officials go against him or his club
-FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Analyzing the pick
Berggren was a guy that I thought would maybe go in the 1st round, but he fell to the early 2nd. Not the most exciting pick, but he’s drawn a lot of comparison to a player like Viktor Arvidsson. A high motor, strong playmaker, and solid two-way talent. He’s not the biggest player, but if you watch him play, one of the first things you’ll notice is his tremendous puck control.
Most scouting bureaus have Berggren ranked in the top 30. He checked in at 30 in the NHL CSS EU.
The 17-year-old winger is set to spend some time in the SHL with AIK next season.
Do you like the pick?
| Yes | 1135 |
| No | 300 |
