F Filip Ekberg - Altuma, Sweden J18 (2025 Draft)

[Hinterland]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849616416397238719

Yet another goal from his office. Has 9 points in 10 games for the 67's.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Is he going to get drafted as a small guy under 1PPG?

 

[Hinterland]

Is he going to get drafted as a small guy under 1PPG?

I'd be shocked if he's below ppg for much longer this season. He's heating up already but he's got another gear...or two. At least. He might not go in the 1st round because he's small and not the best skater but in my view he should go in the 1st. You'll never get more skill after round 1. This kid is both a natural goal scorer and playmaker. His hands are incredible and his vision is elite.

 

[Eye of Ra]

I'd be shocked if he's below ppg for much longer this season. He's heating up already but he's got another gear...or two. At least. He might not go in the 1st round because he's small and not the best skater but in my view he should go in the 1st. You'll never get more skill after round 1. This kid is both a natural goal scorer and playmaker. His hands are incredible and his vision is elite.

Where does your interest in Ekberg come from? Maybe you think he is Swiss? Many north Americans confuse Sweden and Switzerland

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

12 points in 18 games. Can't be an early rounder anymore at this point, no?

 

[Garl]

Probably not

12 points in 18 games. Can't be an early rounder anymore at this point, no?

Probably not, move to OHL did more harm to his draft ranking than good. He still has the talent and skills, but hard to show them off on a fourth line

 

[Gazewithin]

12 points in 18 games. Can't be an early rounder anymore at this point, no?

Probably a middlerounder, given his still decent potential. I have not watched any of his games in the OHL, but what I'm hearing(and seeing on the stats sheet) certainly is not great. But moving to Canada was always an odd move in my opinion. The kid stays on a program in Sweden that can't even keep the top non-prospects, skipping every top program and junior team in Sweden, and then suddenly, after having struggled to improve for an entire season, moves to another continent with all the things that come with it. Keep in mind that despite his weaknesses at the time, Ekberg was seen on average as the most talented 07 in Sweden as late as 18 months ago. Every team in the country would have moved heaven and earth for him. Based on all this and the fact that he ha made close to 0(!) improvements since then, I can't think of it as anything if not brutal mismanagement from him and his camp. Off course prospects can stagnate, off course prospects can get into bad team situations and get f***ed over, and not get the best situation to improve in. But to make all these bizzare decisions and(from the outside, and based on the people I have talked to about this) the lack of focus in terms of improving and covering weaknesses in his game, it's a special kind of miss.

 

[Hinterland]

Probably a middlerounder, given his still decent potential. I have not watched any of his games in the OHL, but what I'm hearing(and seeing on the stats sheet) certainly is not great. But moving to Canada was always an odd move in my opinion. The kid stays on a program in Sweden that can't even keep the top non-prospects, skipping every top program and junior team in Sweden, and then suddenly, after having struggled to improve for an entire season, moves to another continent with all the things that come with it. Keep in mind that despite his weaknesses at the time, Ekberg was seen on average as the most talented 07 in Sweden as late as 18 months ago. Every team in the country would have moved heaven and earth for him. Based on all this and the fact that he ha made close to 0(!) improvements since then, I can't think of it as anything if not brutal mismanagement from him and his camp. Off course prospects can stagnate, off course prospects can get into bad team situations and get f***ed over, and not get the best situation to improve in. But to make all these bizzare decisions and(from the outside, and based on the people I have talked to about this) the lack of focus in terms of improving and covering weaknesses in his game, it's a special kind of miss.

You're overanalyzing this.

Ekberg's 12 points are actually respectable if you take into account his very limited icetime.

Ekberg has been playing well pretty much all season long.

The problem is that Dave Cameron has been rolling pretty much two forward lines only this season but none of his top forward prospects have been part of those lines on a regular basis. Ekberg, Nicolas Whitehead, Chase Yanni hardly ever played those big minutes, Nathan Amidovski never got a chance.

I don't know what Cameron is trying to achieve but the other forward prospects are in the same boat as Ekberg. There's nothing wrong with Ekberg except his usage. If he's on the topline centering Luca Pinelli then the both of them are north of 30 points as we speak. Unfortunately, the CHL leagues aren't just about talent but also about opportunity. It's tough to impress and put up big numbers if you're stuck playing a handful of shifts on the 4th line with poor or inexperienced players all season long.

I agree the move so far hasn't helped his draft chances though. Definitely not a good look for Cameron and the 67's.

 

[Gazewithin]

You're overanalyzing this.

Ekberg's 12 points are actually respectable if you take into account his very limited icetime.

Ekberg has been playing well pretty much all season long.

The problem is that Dave Cameron has been rolling pretty much two forward lines only this season but none of his top forward prospects have been part of those lines on a regular basis. Ekberg, Nicolas Whitehead, Chase Yanni hardly ever played those big minutes, Nathan Amidovski never got a chance.

I don't know what Cameron is trying to achieve but the other forward prospects are in the same boat as Ekberg. There's nothing wrong with Ekberg except his usage. If he's on the topline centering Luca Pinelli then the both of them are north of 30 points as we speak. Unfortunately, the CHL leagues aren't just about talent but also about opportunity. It's tough to impress and put up big numbers if you're stuck playing a handful of shifts on the 4th line with poor or inexperienced players all season long.

I agree the move so far hasn't helped his draft chances though. Definitely not a good look for Cameron and the 67's.

Everything I talked about applies to his time in Sweden. This is not a reaction to specifically his point totals in the OHL. I can totally believe he is being misused. Does seem very excessive to claim so confidently that he would be at 30+ points with the right usage, given that there seems to be 9 such players right now.
But, even if he is doing well with his limited time, I don't think that's promising at all. He has played junior hockey at the highest level/age group for what will soon be about 2 years.

Other swedes has not only caught up, but left him hanging far behind. And to me, even the ones that are only caught up are way more interesting. At least they are improving, and if Ekbergs "base talent" was excessive enough to compensate for all of that, it would noticed and talked about a lot more.

Other people who have watched Ekberg the last 3 years or so are welcome to disagree, but I don't think any inspiring improvement has happened overall from like midlate 22-23 season to even this summer.

I also think the usage you are describing only adds to my "overanalyzation". Is he going to get drafted high because his usage is bad? Furthermore, the actually important part I described was his development. Thats going to get better how exactly? It didn't go great in a place where he was handed all the opportunity and then some, but it's going to get better in a situation where he apparently he doesn't even get to play properly despite there being nothing wrong with his play(in your words)?

There is off course a lot more time, and he could switch things up(he should absolutely be able to tear junior defences apart at least) but it's no longer a favourable bet in my eyes. Would make me very happy though!