borro said:
I was hoping to get some response from Predatore on one other Cap prospect and one former Caps son. What can you tell me about Oscar Hedman. Does he have the size and grit to play in the NHL at 6'0? Also, can you give me the skinny on Bengt Gustafsson's son. Bengt was one of the best stickhandlers I have ever seen and a great Cap!
Oscar Hedman is coming along nicely. He has plenty of muscles and weight to go with that rather short body, so size will not be an issue. However, I would have like to see him develop a more physical game. Rarely do I see him make those big hits, unfortunately. His hockey sense is still great and he has some good offensive potential. I'd say he could become a No. 4-6 defenseman in the future. Most prospect fans here in Sweden talk about his young brother. 15-year old national team player named
Victor Hedman. He is already 6'4 and clearly the best defenseman in his age group.
Patric Blomdahl is having an okay season as a fourth liner / role player in Linköping (SEL). He sure can hit and work hard, but that is a bout it. I do not see him make it to the big show, but then again, he could break out and become a Tomas Holmström type of player. Not likely, though.
Andreas Valdix is struggling big time in the Swedish second tier league. I do not know what is up (or should I put it, down) with his scoring, but he has been mediocre this season. I guess he needs to regain his confidence, because he has got som decent offensive skills. Looks like a long-shot at this point.
I have not seen that much of
Anton Gustafsson, but he is a decent prospect. I would not say he is among the top prospects born 1990, but he is good enough to play on the Swedish national team. People that have seen Anton play more than me, say he is a clone of his father... with the exact same two-way game and skating.
borro said:
Can you tell me if he translates well to the NHL? The Caps will draft 3-5 and I know Caps scout Ross Mahoney was scouting Backstrom recently. Is he a great skater? Power player? How would he do on a line with Ovechkin and Zubrus? Thanks! Also, would he be difficult to sign? The Caps are looking for someone to compete in camp, imho.
Not a great skater IMO, but a good one. He stickhandles so smoothly through traffic, that it looks as he is faster than he actually is. Not a bad skater by any means, but I see some room for improvement. Without a doubt,
Bäckström is the best power play prospect I have seen in some years. Reminds a lot about Peter Forsberg when he is on the PP and has the exact same role. Very often does he also use flip passes successfully. Since he such a good playmaker, I'd say he do very well with a guy like Ovechkin. Bäckström is a pretty decent scorer too, although a natural playmaker IMO. I know that the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues have been scouting him closely this and last week. He would not be easy to sign though (despite being fairly NHL ready). Bäckström has said he wants another year in the SEL before moving.
BronxBruin said:
While we're on the topic, what is your take on Lars Jonsson? He has posted career highs in scoring but do you feel he has improved as a prospect over the first half of this season? How has his defensive play been? Is he a legitimate NHL prospect at this point?
Jonsson's offense/scoring has improved (finally) and he appears to be more solid defensively as well. However, he is playing on the top team in the league and does not face as many tough situations as in the past. I still think Jonsson plays somewhat risky and tries to overwork situations. I'd say it is a 50/50 shot he will make it as an NHL defenseman. I do not see him more than a No. 3-6 defenseman, possibly playing on the second PP unit.
HOCKEY_GURU said:
but all in all considering his team and his age..is his production so bad?
To be honest, I have not looked too much on
Dragan's production. Although one of my favourite players, I think he is inconsistent and does not bring it every night. Also, he really stunk it up badly when playing for team Sweden internationally before Christmas. It was very obvious that level of play was much too high for him, as he lacked both the intensity and endurance to play international hockey.
phillypensfan said:
Anyone know anything about David Lidstrom?
Lidström is a very mobile two-way defenseman with good hockey sense and a decent passing game. Ranks as a top 8-10 defenseman in his age group, but I do not see him being drafted because of his smallish stature.