NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Jonathan Dahlen

Get to Know Jonathan Dahlen

Date of Birth: December 12, 1997 (18)
Place of Birth: Ostersund, Sweden
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 176 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center / Left Wing
Team: Timra (Allsvenskan)

Statistics

What Scouts See
Jimmy Hamrin, HockeyProspectus.com
He seems to handle pressure well and performed his best hockey during his team’s playoff run. He needs to keep developing all his assets of course but especially add more muscle and a bit more speed to be able to do the things he does so well today on a top 6 role in an NHL-team.

Future Considerations
Dahlen is a true goal scorer with a superb shot release. He has some nice speed and a good skating base that will allow him to improve over time and get faster and stronger. He sees plays develop and explodes down the wing to create a passing option on the rush. Dahlen can change directions at full speed thanks to his quick agility and strong legs. His passes are sharp, right on the blade of his target. He disguises his intentions and is creative with the puck

HockeyProspect.com Black Book
As a late ’97 born, Dahlen didn’t have the chance to showcase his progress on the international stage with his U18 national team. However, the kind of year he had while playing against men in the second best Swedish senior league could hardly go unnoticed. The son of former NHLer Ulf Dahlen managed to lead his team in goals and points, putting together a very productive second half of the season. In particular, he put on a show in the Allsvenskan playoff round, scoring 6 goals in 5 games, half of his entire team’s post season output.

McKeen’s Hockey
“Some scouts say he’s soft, but soft players don’t usually dominate much older players in the playoffs,” said one scout. “He’s good along the boards and competes fine.”

What BSN Avalanche Sees
Jonathan Dahlen does everything at lightning speed. A highlight reel kind of player, Dahlen has explosive skill and a great hockey IQ that make you sit on the edge of your seat every time he touches the puck, but he rarely touches the puck for long. If Dahlen isn’t blasting up the ice with the puck on his stick he’s keen to sling it across the ice with very quick touch passes that keep the defense off balance. He has great hands and an NHL ready shot today. His edgework is excellent, making him a very agile player who is able to shield the puck well and change direction while carrying the puck with speed.
Dahlen is a little undersized, and while he’s not afraid to go to the front of the net and battle he does need to work on the physical side of his game before he could play North American pro hockey. With this kind of skill and creativity, however, Dahlen could be a massive hidden gem in the draft’s second round.

NHL Potential
Dahlen is a bit undersized and needs to work on the physical side of the game to make the NHL, but his ceiling projects as a goal scoring Top 6 winger at the NHL level

Expected Draft Position
The vast majority of scouting services rank Dahlen in the mid-50’s, so it’s likely safe to pencil him in as a second round pick.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization
No offense to JC Beaudin or AJ Greer, both of whom had impressive seasons in the QMJHL last season, but at this point in time the Avalanche don’t have a single forward in their system with the type of offensive weapons or creativity that Jonathan Dahlen has. An undersized skill guy, it’s unfair to call Dahlen “one dimensional,” but it is unlikely that he accomplishes much in the NHL if he can’t be a scorer so he is certainly a boom or bust player. With only 3 picks in the first three rounds the Avalanche might prefer to look for a player with a higher performance floor, but Dahlen certainly has the talent to justify the use of a pick.