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Prospect Info: 22nd Overall Tobias Bjornfot, Defence

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Tobias Björnfot at eliteprospects.com


Björnfot is a very capable two-way defenseman with few weaknesses in his game. A strong skater who reads the game well and contributes both offensively and defensively. Also a good leader and he competes hard on every shift. Can be used on the powerplay, but stands out more in his own end with this solid play. (EP 2019)
Björnfot is in superb physical shape and he is both strong and got good conditioning, Hockeyprospect.com 2019
He has a strong and hard first pass to start the transition game and he also has the ability to transport the puck zone-to-zone himself, Future Considerations 2019
He is a solid stickhandler and good passer, as likely to make the simple, safe play as he is to attempt something more challenging, McKeen's Hockey 2019
Complete defender.. competent in all situations.. nice lateral mobility with the puck allows him to find space to make plays under pressure, Draftin Europe 2018
 
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This kid has absolutely upside regardless of what Brian Burke said.

He would have been way more highly touted if it wasn't for Djurgårdens deep blue line last year that didnt give him much chances to shine.

He reminds me about Hampus Lindholm in his calm and solid way or handling situation. Smart player.
 
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Pretty nice numbers in SuperElit

2018-19
1.png
Djurgårdens IF J18		J18 Allsvenskan000000|Playoffs21124-1
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Djurgårdens IF J20 “A”		SuperElit391111221415|Playoffs712304
1.png
Djurgårdens IF		SHL700020|Playoffs400000
31.png
Sweden U18 “C”		WJC-1870116-1|
31.png
Sweden U18 (all)		International-Jr2245912-6|
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
 
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Too bad he’s already in great shape. I prefer a guy who could be in better shape and produces those numbers. Then when he makes the NHL and improves fitness, there’s additional upside.
 
  1. Tobias Bjornfot, D, Djuargarden-J20 SuperElit
#7 overall, EURO Central Scouting Rank.

April 6, 2001 | six-foot | 203 pounds
Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 55
Bjornfot was a touted prospect for a few years and a minutes eater for Sweden’s international teams, including being one of the best defensemen at the U18s and named the best defenseman in Sweden’s J20 league. His skating provides a lot of his value. His ability to lead a rush, pinch off the blueline and close on his checks is very good. His feet allow him to make stops and transition pucks. He has solid defensive acumen and generally is trusted by coaches to play tougher minutes. His puck game is average. He can have the odd flash offensively due to his feet and above-average vision. His skill level doesn’t overly impress, but there were times, particularly in the second half of the season, he showed more confidence making creative plays. He could be a reliable two-way defenseman in the NHL who might not put up points.
NHL scout on Bjornfot: “He’s not flashy, but he’s a very mobile and smart defenseman. He kills a lot of plays, can skate pucks up and can give you some offense.”
 
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I’ll trust the scouts.

Lavoie, Kaliyev, Brink, Hoglander, Rees, and others still being available make me think it wasn’t terrible. Could be an excellent dman in a few years. Always good to add a competitive captain.
 
Obviously, it is a controversial pick for those looking for the flashy homerun. Everything I've read sounds good, but so do just about anyone's draft profile. In the end, he sounds good, just have to wait and see how he turns out, but he could be someone that anchors the blue line for many years. Only time will tell...

They seemed confident in their selection so I will put my faith in the scouts. Obviously the character and intangible talk isn't going to go over well with the fans at this point so hopefully more comes out of this than another giant meh defenseman that sputters out and gets dealt early and ends up a pylon in the European leagues...
 
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LastWordArmy said:
Our look

Tobias Bjornfot Scouting Report: 2018 NHL Draft #35
Click to expand...
I understand that he's a decent dman.

But I don't get it. Where are all these Dmen going to play? Here are the leading prospects we have NOW: Clague, Anderson, Phillips, Durzi, Walker, Roy, Hults and then the next lower tier Brickly, Moverare, Lintuniemi, Strand.

I'm guessing we need to find 4 Dmen over then next several years. And then we use a 1st Round pick to get another Dman?

For a team that claimed they need scoring and must transition to speed on offense, what exact problem does Bjornfot solve?

If we end up later trying to move Dmen to still address that scoring need then this was a true waste of asset value.

Do Luc and Blake EVER say words that are the Truth? Do they have a flying clue what the hell they are doing? None of this washes with shit poor offensive performance (read NEED), their comments, and then their Draft selection of a hard earned 1st round pick.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of this pick. We could have used Thomasino.
 
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I am in no way disappointed that he is in our system. I hope he has a lot more offensive upside than scouting reports have noted, I just thought we could have drafted a similar player in Vlasic at 33.

Hopefully he can slot in next to Doughty and be a better Forbort with more offense. If he and Anderson can combine to make up the left side of our top two pairings, that would be amazing.

Bjornfot - Doughty
Anderson - Durzi
 
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RocketKing said:
I understand that he's a decent dman.

But I don't get it. Where are all these Dmen going to play? Here are the leading prospects we have NOW: Clague, Anderson, Phillips, Durzi, Walker, Roy, Hults and then the next lower tier Brickly, Moverare, Lintuniemi, Strand.

I'm guessing we need to find 4 Dmen over then next several years. And then we use a 1st Round pick to get another Dman?

For a team that claimed they need scoring and must transition to speed on offense, what exact problem does Bjornfot solve?

If we end up later trying to move Dmen to still address that scoring need then this was a true waste of asset value.

Do Luc and Blake EVER say words that are the Truth? Do they have a flying clue what the hell they are doing? None of this washes with **** poor offensive performance (read NEED), their comments, and then their Draft selection of a hard earned 1st round pick.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of this pick. We could have used Thomasino.
Click to expand...

Excerpt for the Athletic on Bjornfot:
"Team Fit: In Bjornfot, the Kings add a very reliable and well-rounded defenseman who played very well at the junior and international level. There is a mild offensive upside question for me, but I know teams who were giant fans and think he could be a no doubt top-four defenseman, as well someone who plays tough minutes. Bjornfot will need a few years and the Kings have a few left-handed defensemen coming in Kale Clague and Mikey Anderson, so they can be patient."

Bjornfot is signed to play in Sweden the next two years, and he barely just turned 18. He won't be coming over until he is 20 to compete in the AHL/NHL. Many of those players you listed will be move on in 3-4 years and some won't make the NHL. There are a ton of good offensive prospects still available at #33 tomorrow, including Lavoie, Kaliyev, Brink, Robertson, Puistola and Hoglander.
 
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RocketKing said:
I understand that he's a decent dman.

But I don't get it. Where are all these Dmen going to play? Here are the leading prospects we have NOW: Clague, Anderson, Phillips, Durzi, Walker, Roy, Hults and then the next lower tier Brickly, Moverare, Lintuniemi, Strand.

I'm guessing we need to find 4 Dmen over then next several years. And then we use a 1st Round pick to get another Dman?

For a team that claimed they need scoring and must transition to speed on offense, what exact problem does Bjornfot solve?

If we end up later trying to move Dmen to still address that scoring need then this was a true waste of asset value.

Do Luc and Blake EVER say words that are the Truth? Do they have a flying clue what the hell they are doing? None of this washes with **** poor offensive performance (read NEED), their comments, and then their Draft selection of a hard earned 1st round pick.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of this pick. We could have used Thomasino.
Click to expand...

Out of the dudes you’ve listed there, there’s maybe 3 who I think are NHLers when it’s all said and done. Clague, Anderson and Phillips. Durzi? Walker? Time will tell. If management really loved this kid, I don’t think it matters that we are “stacked” in D prospects. Reality check, though, we aren’t. That’s not an elite group. Clague struggled in Ontario. Phillips & Durzi are OHLers; you make it seem like they’re all bonafide future NHLers.
 
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Peter James Bond II said:
Click to expand...


To be honest, after watching that video in its entirety, I actually feel much better about the pick. I love his skating and assertiveness. He doesn't shy away from bringing the puck up the ice and he makes very strong and smart plays. He looks like a decisive player with leadership qualities and he favors the wrist shot and doesn't seem to have too many difficulties getting the puck to the net. Looks great to me. I am much happier with the selection. In the scouts we must trust. He's signed for two years in Sweden, so he will have a lot of time to develop in a solid leauge.
 
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RocketKing said:
I understand that he's a decent dman.

But I don't get it. Where are all these Dmen going to play? Here are the leading prospects we have NOW: Clague, Anderson, Phillips, Durzi, Walker, Roy, Hults and then the next lower tier Brickly, Moverare, Lintuniemi, Strand.

I'm guessing we need to find 4 Dmen over then next several years. And then we use a 1st Round pick to get another Dman?

For a team that claimed they need scoring and must transition to speed on offense, what exact problem does Bjornfot solve?

If we end up later trying to move Dmen to still address that scoring need then this was a true waste of asset value.

Do Luc and Blake EVER say words that are the Truth? Do they have a flying clue what the hell they are doing? None of this washes with **** poor offensive performance (read NEED), their comments, and then their Draft selection of a hard earned 1st round pick.

Sorry, I'm not a fan of this pick. We could have used Thomasino.
Click to expand...
I don't really think Walker and Roy are long term solutions for a good team. Phillips, Brickley, Moverare, Lintuniemi, Strand are all projects. Durzi oozes potential, but is a ways away from NHL level defense. The Kings have a good pipeline of young defensemen, but they're not sure things.

You could make a list of forwards and make the same case... where are they all gonna play? The truth is, they're not all going to play.
 
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Peter James Bond II said:
  1. Tobias Bjornfot, D, Djuargarden-J20 SuperElit
#7 overall, EURO Central Scouting Rank.

April 6, 2001 | six-foot | 203 pounds
Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 45
Hockey Sense: 55
Bjornfot was a touted prospect for a few years and a minutes eater for Sweden’s international teams, including being one of the best defensemen at the U18s and named the best defenseman in Sweden’s J20 league. His skating provides a lot of his value. His ability to lead a rush, pinch off the blueline and close on his checks is very good. His feet allow him to make stops and transition pucks. He has solid defensive acumen and generally is trusted by coaches to play tougher minutes. His puck game is average. He can have the odd flash offensively due to his feet and above-average vision. His skill level doesn’t overly impress, but there were times, particularly in the second half of the season, he showed more confidence making creative plays. He could be a reliable two-way defenseman in the NHL who might not put up points.
NHL scout on Bjornfot: “He’s not flashy, but he’s a very mobile and smart defenseman. He kills a lot of plays, can skate pucks up and can give you some offense.”
Click to expand...
Seems like a nice pairing to an offensive dman.
 
regulate said:
Excerpt for the Athletic on Bjornfot:
"Team Fit: In Bjornfot, the Kings add a very reliable and well-rounded defenseman who played very well at the junior and international level. There is a mild offensive upside question for me, but I know teams who were giant fans and think he could be a no doubt top-four defenseman, as well someone who plays tough minutes. Bjornfot will need a few years and the Kings have a few left-handed defensemen coming in Kale Clague and Mikey Anderson, so they can be patient."

Bjornfot is signed to play in Sweden the next two years, and he barely just turned 18. He won't be coming over until he is 20 to compete in the AHL/NHL. Many of those players you listed will be move on in 3-4 years and some won't make the NHL. There are a ton of good offensive prospects still available at #33 tomorrow, including Lavoie, Kaliyev, Brink, Robertson, Puistola and Hoglander.
Click to expand...

"Philip Tomasino (6-0, 183) is a dynamic skater capable of creating time and space while generating good scoring opportunities. The right-handed shot had 72 points (34 goals, 38 assists) in 67 games. He led the Ontario Hockey League with 12 game-winning goals..."

This guy was on the board and he is exactly the kind of forward the Team says they are focising on moving to. Then they pick a solid dman instead. You see my point? The other forwards mentioned are still there for sure but Tomasino 2 went picks later. That is messed up. He was a legit highly ranked scorer at our selection number and they passed to take the dman.
 
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Defensemen take longer to be NHL-ready anyway. Go all d-men this year for all I care. We will suck this season and have plenty of picks to draft forwards in an even deeper draft (iirc) next year
 
AKAY47 said:
Out of the dudes you’ve listed there, there’s maybe 3 who I think are NHLers when it’s all said and done. Clague, Anderson and Phillips. Durzi? Walker? Time will tell. If management really loved this kid, I don’t think it matters that we are “stacked” in D prospects. Reality check, though, we aren’t. That’s not an elite group. Clague struggled in Ontario. Phillips & Durzi are OHLers; you make it seem like they’re all bonafide future NHLers.
Click to expand...

I don't expect all of them to make it but I can see at least 1 or 2 in the next year and then another 1 or 2 a year or 2 after. I would say that we have a solid reserve list on D, but the team is clearly unbalanced because they lack anything near what we have on D with our forward reserve list of scorers. BLuc said they were going to address the scoring (pathetic) deficiency. So while the D is still not an elite group, its not the shit show we have with our offense. They should have selected Tomasino. Not doing that was a mistake.
 
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