While Herman Traff, Karl Sterner, and Jack Berglund soak up all the attention for the 2024 NHL Draft, there's another big Swedish power-forward flying under the radar, who might be an even bigger sleeper than those three in LW/RW Charlie Forslund.
Forslund has a complex story, as he played his junior this season for Falu IF J20, a Division 1 team, which is the third-tier U-20 league in Sweden, and wasn't invited to play on any international teams. He was clearly too good for Div.1, amassing 13 goals and 16 points in 7 games, but instead of earning a promotion to the J20 league where most Swedish draft-eligibles play, he was called up to Falu IF's HockeyEttan team- the nation's third-tier Men's league (Falu doesn't have a team in the J20). There, the 6'3", 212 winger somehow managed to put up the 16th-best season all-time (7th-best all-time in ppg for U-18 players with more than 10 games) for U-18 players in that league, with 9 goals and 19 points in 19 games, often playing huge minutes on the top line- and even added 3 goals and 4 points in 3 playoff games. Once the season for the HockeyEttan club was over, he was sent back to the Div.1 team to help out in the playoffs, and he piled up 7 goals and 12 points in 7 games.
Forslund is a power-forward with some skill and speed, who uses his size to his advantage in battles and can make plays in traffic. He's proficient in leaning in to defenders when attacking the net and will drive the middle to shoot and finish plays, which is his primary contribution to his team's offense. He plays well around the net and in-close, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to cash in on rebounds and second-chance opportunities, but also has an array of dangerous shots with good velocity, all coming on wicked releases with deception mixed in. Like other goal-scorers, Forslund possesses an inate sense of how to sniff out open spaces to be ready and in position with his stick on the ice to recieve a pass and unleash his shot. The powerplay is where Forslund produces a lot of his points in the HockeyEttan, but he supports the play well in the offensive zone at all times by skating smart routes. He loves to pick corners from the circle, and has a deceptive drag-and-release in traffic.
Forslund skates quite well for a player his size, and even has some shiftiness and a rather peppy first-step- he can beat defenders wide and win races, even in the men's league. He is not without vision and IQ, as he can create off the rush- though not at a high rate, mostly in flashes. He's also reasonably skilled, but not dynamic in any way. While he might not be overly physical in terms of throwing his weight around, he leverages his size well in board battles and down low. Unfortunately, he lacks poise in transition, deferring mostly to teammates in the carrying department, and when he participates it's usually only with short-area passes and give-and-go's.
Away from the offensive zone, his off-puck play and defense is in need of further refinement- he hustles on the backcheck, but often looks lost without the puck, and is still finding his way in this area. His stickhandling is a bit clunky, lacks deception, and fails him from time to time in regards to turnovers and misshandling- his pass-reception is also rough. Coming up from a lower level of hockey, he's still quite inconsistent and raw, and prone to fading into the background on occasion. It may concern scouts that a high number of his looks in the men's league come from the PP as well. If he is deemed good enough to be drafted, look for him in later rounds.