NHL Prospect Profile: Nils Lundkvist

Statistics

Scout Quotes

Lundkvist could develop into a top four defenceman, capable of moving the puck quickly and adding some offence. He needs time to add some strength, and to continue to work on his slap shot and his backwards skating. Lundkvist will likely spend another season or two in Sweden before coming over to North America, and the team drafting him should be patient with his development. If things go well they could add a real weapon in a league that is moving more and more towards speed and skill on the blueline every year. – Last Word on Hockey

AJ’s Thoughts

This is a guy who came out of nowhere this year to throw himself into the conversation for the first round. While I think his rise may stop just short of that, it’s a testament to how well he played internationally this year to go from a guy who had never represented Sweden before to having done it twice in the last year. It would be easy to confuse Lundvist and Adam Boqvist given their stature, handedness, and very similar playstyles.

Boqvist is a high-wire act with exceptional talent and playmaking abilities who can score his fair share of goals. Lundkvist moves similarly as well but lacks the shot to consistently score goals at high levels. He is a great passer with great vision, however, and he’s an exciting player carrying the puck out of his own zone. His smaller stature makes it difficult for him in the world of puck retrieval but he gives an honest effort. His Five Nations performance really put him on the draft radar. His U-18 Worlds work may not have been enough to get him into the first round but he likely won’t last too long into the second round.

Highlights

Avalanche Fit

He’s very redundant to Cale Makar and Tyson Barrie. It’s fine when you’re talking about a blue-chip prospect like Makar who has the potential to be elite in the NHL. I don’t feel the same way about Lundkvist so it’s hard to justify the Avalanche selecting a player who is so similar to their top prospect and second-best defenseman currently in the NHL. If for some reason he fell to 47, the Avalanche could certainly justify selecting him there because of his impressive skill level. That very likely won’t happen, however, and the Avalanche and Lundkvist will likely go separate ways on draft day.

Rankings

#16 Hockey Prospect
#35 Future Considerations
#37 McKeen’s Hockey