Steffen and Markus Soberg during the Division 1 Group A World Juniors (Photo credit: IIHF).

In Norway, NHLers are few and far between. Unlike neighboring Denmark and Germany (let alone Sweden), Norway hasn’t established itself as a producer of elite hockey talent. As of right now, only 18 Norwegians have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, only seven have played in an NHL game, and just one is currently a part of a big-league roster: the Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello.

Hockey fans from Norway sure hope some of their fellow countrymen will be selected in the upcoming draft and one of the names they’re waiting to be called in Newark in late June will sound familiar for the Caps fans: Markus Soberg.

Markus’s older brother, Steffen, is a Capitals goaltending prospect. Steffen’s impressive regular-season campaign (first in wins, second in save percentage) earned him best young player of the season honors in his country’s top hockey league, GET-Ligaen. Playing with Valerenga, Soberg made it to the GET-Ligaen finals where his team fell to the  defending champions, the Stavanger Oilers. Steffen led Team Norway to the victory in Division 1 Group A WJC (second tier of international junior hockey) and promotion to the highest level for next year. Older Soberg was named the best player on the Norwegian squad selected by the coaches. To cap off a good year, Soberg was called up to the national team for the World Championships. He never played at the tournament but was dressed as a back-up for one of the games.

His brother, however, has gone the other way in his development. Unlike Steffen, who preferred to stay in his home country, Markus has been playing in the elite Frolunda program in Sweden since he turned 16. Now he is a part of the SuperElit roster, a major junior team. His debut in the big league was expected late last season according to the Norwegian media, but for some reason it didn’t happen. Still, there’s little doubt that Markus will soon step on the ice in one of the best European leagues.

Last season was a big one for Markus. He led scoring in U18 Division 1 Group A WJC and was tied for sixth in points U20 tournament, where we had a rare chance to see the brothers play with each other.

The big question is whether or not Markus will be drafted. Well, it depends on whom you ask. NHL Central Scouting placed Markus 82nd in their final rankings of European skaters (down 19 spots from mid-season), which is well in the “Undrafted” category. Independent scouts, however, disagree. Corey Pronman put Soberg in as #186 of his rankings. The Hockey Writers’ board was even more impressed with Soberg’s performance. In their latest edition of monthly top-120 rankings, Soberg is present for the first time as 119th draft-eligible player.

Scouts are impressed with Soberg’s strong skating and willingness to play a two-way game. Soberg, who can play either wing, brings a lot of energy in every game and his relatively small frame (5-11, 187 lbs) doesn’t stop him from being physical.

Caps draft pick Thomas DiPauli.(Photo credit: Dave Sanford)

After trading their second round pick and Cody Eakin to the Dallas Stars in exchange for center Mike Riberio, Washington did not move any of their other ten picks in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In the first round, they acquired talented winger Filip Forsberg and rough-and-tumble power forward Tom Wilson; through the next six rounds, they would go on to acquire four US players, a Canadian player, a Swedish player, and a Russian.

Notably, the Caps selected three players from the U.S. developmental team, and one player recently of the U.S. developmental team. “I asked [the scouts] ‘What are we doing here?” said McPhee about this trend. “Are we drafting the whole team?’”

“We made a lot of picks today,” McPhee said of the second day overall. “I don’t know those kids very well. [...] It’s nice to sort of restock this year, and we’ll see how they are in a couple of years.”

Chandler Stephenson, 3rd Round, 77th Overall

With the 77th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats. Stephenson is a center/left wing and is known as a creative, skilled forward. In two years with Regina, Stephenson has scored 29 goals and notched 61 points, including a 22-goal performance this year. Stephenson’s stat line is very similar to Cody Eakin’s in his two years in the WHL before the draft, however Stephenson has more than 10 pounds of weight over Eakin already. He is 5’10 and 192 lbs.

Thomas DiPauli, 4th Round, 100th Overall

With the 100th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected center Thomas DiPauli of the US developmental program. In three years with US developmental program, DiPauli has scored 21 goals and had 62 points. He is 5’11 and 188 lbs. “Best moment of my life,” DiPauli said of the draft. “Dream come true. It was incredible.”

Austin Wuthrich, 4th Round, 107th Overall

With the 107th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Austin Wuthrich. Wuthrich is a right wing formerly of the US developmental program, now playing college hockey for Notre Dame. In 36 games with Notre Dame, Wuthrich scored 7 goals and had a total of 17 points. He is 6’1 and 190 lbs.

Connor Carrick, 5th Round, 137th Overall

With the 137th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Connor Carrick of the U.S. developmental program. Carrick is a defenseman who is known for his skating and work ethic. In two years with U.S. developmental program, Carrick scored 8 goals and had 18 points. He is 5’11 and weighs 185 lbs. “Yeah, it’s got to make going to camp and things like that easier, to see familiar faces and such,” Carrick said of having his teammates drafted alongside him. “As far as the future, I hope we can all make the team, that would be great.”

Riley Barber, 6th Round, 167th Overall

Photo credit: Dubuque Fighting Saints’ flickr

With the 167th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Riley Barber of the U.S. developmental program. Barber is a right wing and projects to be a skill player with good size. In two years in the USHL, Barber scored 34 goals and notched 63 points. He is 6’0 and 194 lbs. You can follow Barber on twitter at @rileybarber94.

Christian Djoos, 7th Round, 195th Overall

With the 195th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Christian Djoos of the Swedish under-18 league. Djoos is a defenseman who projects to be a defensively responsible player with some offensive punch. In three years in Swedish junior leagues, Djoos has scored 23 goals and had 99 points overall. He is 5’11 and weighs 158 lbs.

Jaynen Rissling, 7th Round, 197th Overall

Photo credit: Brendan Miller

With the 197th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Jaynen Rissling of the Calgary Hitmen. Rissling had 10 goals, 52 points, and 238 PIM with the Hitmen. His uncle, Gary Rissling, played for the Capitals from 1978-81, before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rissling is 6’4 and 223 lbs.

Sergei Kostenko, 7th Round, 195th Overall

The Capitals picked their only Russian and their only goaltender of the draft with their last pick of the day, selecting Sergei Kostenko at 203rd overall. Kostenko is a goaltender playing for Kuznetskie Medvedi in the Russian junior league, and was the third-string goalie for the World Juniors tournament this year. He is also apparently friends with Dmitry Orlov.

Photo credit: Panini America

About a half an hour after the Capitals selected Filip Forsberg at number 11, they had several sexy options at number 16. Two talented Finns were still available in Tuomo Teravainen and Olli Maatta, while PK Subban’s brother Malcolm was also still without a team.

Instead the Caps went a little off the board (THN #25) and drafted six-foot, four-inch right-wing Thomas Wilson.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

“In the playoffs, we made a note after one of the games,” Capitals GM George McPhee said. “It was to remember these games when we’re at the draft. Remember how intense they are, how demanding they are, how physical they are, and make sure we get someone who wants to play in that kind of stuff.”

In Wilson, McPhee gets exactly that.

If you skim through Wilson’s favorites list on NHL.com, you quickly understand what kind of hockey he enjoys. His favorite sport other than hockey? rugby; his favorite movie? Green Street Hooligans; and his favorite superhero? Superman.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the player he wants to model his game after is Milan Lucic.

In 49 games for the Plymouth Whalers during an injury-plagued 2011-12 season, Wilson recorded 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists), 141 penalty minutes, and a plus-17 rating. In the playoffs he showed off his scoring touch, adding 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in 13 post-season contests when several of his talented teammates were felled due to injury. Wilson also was voted as the ‘Best Body Checker’ in the OHL’s 2012 Western Conference Coaches Poll and was a runner up for the ‘Hardest Worker’ distinction.

The behemoth winger is certainly not afraid to drop the gloves, with 18 fights already in his young career. In fact, he impressed scouts when he broke his knuckle in a fight against fellow draft pick Dalton Thrower at last year’s CHL Top Prospects game.

“There’s so many talented players,” Wilson said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. “I was just really trying to separate myself. My physical play could do that for me, and I think it did do that. It showed I was working hard and could play that game.”

Wilson also wowed at the scouting combine, finishing in the top ten of almost every power category, including recording the fourth-best result time in the punishing V02 Max bike test.

“You can find guys that are tough,” McPhee explained. “But if they can’t play, what good are they? This kid seems to be that rare combination these days of a guy who is tough but can play. Worst case scenario he plays on the fourth line. If he develops properly, he could be a third, second line player.”

Wilson came highly recommended by former Caps coach Dale Hunter, who saw the winger up close and personal many times last season as a coach of the London Knights. When McPhee and Hunter met up during the morning of Day 1, McPhee was left with one message. “Dale likes [this kid] a lot.”

Wilson will participate in Caps Development Camp, which will be held the second week of July. Then it’ll be off to training camp in September.

“I had (Ovechkin’s) jersey growing up,” Wilson said. “It’s gonna be really cool to meet him.”

Videos

Highlights of Wilson’s goals. Oh god, Linkin Park.

Wilson fights Ben Thomas in the playoffs to stick up for one of his injured teammates.

Minute-long bout with Austen Brassard.

Wilson fights Joseph Cramarossa after he runs one of his teammates.

Wilson meets with the media after being drafted by the Capitals.

Wilson talks with Mike Vogel.

Filip Forsberg poses with Gary Bettman, George McPhee, and Ross Mahoney. (Photo credit: Bruce Bennett)

As the number 11 pick drew near, it seemed as if George McPhee would get a steal regardless of who he took. Both Mikhail Grigorenko and Filip Forsberg, rated as top five talents heading into the draft, had been passed over by the first ten teams.

When McPhee went up to the podium, he shook off some boos and selected the 17-year-old Swede. Welcome to Washington, Filip Forsberg.

“We were surprised,” McPhee told the media after he made the selection. “We didn’t expect Forsberg to be there at all.”

The 6-1, 190-pound right-handed shooting forward was the highest ranked European skater heading into the draft and The Hockey News, TSN, International Scouting Service, and Hockey Prospectus all had Forsberg ranked fourth or higher in their rankings. So why did he fall so low? Does he have webbed feet? Is he secretly rumored to be 45-years-old?

“Sometimes that happens in the draft,” McPhee explained. “A good player falls because everybody’s so zoned in on a certain guy… This draft had a lot of good defensemen.”

It sure did. In fact, eight of the first 10 picks were defensemen. Before McPhee pulled the trigger at number 11, seven straight rearguards had been called to the stage.

Despite falling out of the top ten, Forsberg was still very excited. “It’s a big honor to go to the Washington Capitals and be a part of their great organization,” the prospect said smiling ear-to-ear. “Hopefully, this is a start of a good career.”

In 43 games with Leksands IF of Allsvenskan, Forsberg had 8 goals and 9 assists in 43 games. He also was a standout performer at both the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where Sweden won silver and the 2011 World Junior Championships where they won gold.

Forsberg as a kid.

Growing up, Filip modeled his game after his idol, Peter Forsberg (whom he’s not related to), and his style has been compared to that of Corey Perry’s. “He’s got that dynamic two-way power forward game,” Dan Marr, the NHL’s Director of Central Scouting explained. “He’s quite aggressive on the puck, but he shows a really soft touch around the net because he produces in key situations.”

After attending Development Camp in July, Forsberg will return to Sweden next season as has one more year remaining on his contract with Leksands. After that? He’s not so sure. “We’ll see. Hopefully, I can have a good season and everything can happen.” Which we assume means, McPhee will offer him an entry-level deal.

Until then, we must wait at least one year for the potential all-Swede line of Filip Forsberg, Nicklas Backstrom, and Marcus Johansson.

Drats.

Videos

Forsberg highlights with the appropriate European pump-up music.

Forsberg scores two goals against Russia in the 2012 World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

Forsberg talks about fellow countryman Nicklas Lidstrom.

A beaming Forsberg talks to the media.

Forsberg chats with Mike Vogel after being selected at number 11.

Photo via Kristy Morrison

Before General Manager George McPhee even had the chance to select Filip Forsberg with the 11th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, he was met by a loud round of boos by Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Fortunately, a noticeably irritated GMGM brought the sass, and unleashed his fury on the crowd.

Video via BJ Ghassemieh.

“Thank you, Pittsburgh. We’re touched. ::points to heart:: Thank you.”

With Sidney Crosby’s recent injury woes and Alex Ovechkin’s goal production beginning to wane, the Caps/Penguins rivalry has certainly lost some of its steam. It’s nice to know however, that both cities still hate each other.

Is there a GM cooler in the league than McPhee?

I think not.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

With the 16th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Tom Wilson of the Plymouth Whalers. Wilson is a right winger and projects to be a rugged power forward who hits hard and plays rough. Wilson is 6’4 and more physically developed than most players of his age, and is an excellent open-ice checker, winning the OHL award for best body checker last year. The Capitals will select next in the third round.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

With the 11th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Filip Forsberg of the Leksands IF in the Swedish ice hockey league Allsvenskan. Forsberg is a winger and projects to be an outstanding offensive player. He was rated the top European skater and had been projected to go 3rd overall. In three years with Leksands, Forsberg has scored 30 goals and notched 58 points, as well as being a dominant player in this year’s World Juniors tournament.  The Capitals will now select again at pick #16.

Additional Photos

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

Photo credit: Justin K. Aller

[Editor's note: Here comes the final installment of RMNB's draft coverage. Quick recap: Part 1 was about centers, Part 2 was about wingers, and Part 3 was about defense.]

The Capitals have had tremendous success in drafting netminders these last few years with names like Semyon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth, Braden Holtby, and Philipp Grubauer. Last year they drafted Norwegian goalie Steffen Soberg in the 4th round, who was a long shot to make the NHL. He declined to play for the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) and was dealt from the less-than-mediocre Manglerud Star team to a more powerful Valerenga squad and signed a multi-year deal there. Knowing that, the Caps may think they need to add one more goalie to their depth chart. If they’ll be looking to do it early, there are three pretty equal goalies.

So who might be available at the number 11 or 16 spots?

Photo credit: Jana Chytilova/IIHF

Oskar Dansk, Brynas, SEL, 6’2″, 187 lbs. Dansk, the second European goalie in the CSS rankings, is known for instincts and skill. He didn’t play in Elitserien last year, competing instead for the Brynas’ affiliate in SuperElit league, but he’s expected to get lots of playing time next season. One thing he needs to improve is his rebound control which becomes more and more important as scoring drops off in the NHL.

Rankings: TSN: No. 35, NHL Central Scouting: 2 EU goalies, International Scouting Services: No. 1 (goalies), The Hockey News: No. 44, Button: No. 31

Photo credit: Jeff McIntosh/AP Photo

Andrei Vasilevski, Salavat Yulaev, KHL, 6’3″, 190 lbs. Just like Dansk, Vasilevski, who turned heads at the WJC in Canada, didn’t get any major league experience this season. But it seems like Vasilevski won’t wait for his chance in Russia. “I’m ready to go up and down to the AHL to make the NHL. [...] There’s almost zero interest from Salavat in me,” said Vasilevski, even though his KHL team doesn’t look set in goal yet.

Rankings: TSN: No. 24, NHL Central Scouting: 1 EU goalie, International Scouting Services: No. 3 (goalies), The Hockey News: No. 21, Button: No. 15

Photo credit: Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Malcolm Subban, Belleville Bulls, OHL, 6′ 1″, 188 lbs. The Little brother of Habs’ defenseman PK Subban, Malcolm has a lot of talent. Perhaps tied with Vasilevski, Subban might benefit from no “Russian factor.” Despite his average size, he’s quick and flashy. As many smaller goaltenders, he has problems while screened and against top-shelf shots.

Rankings: TSN: No. 25, NHL Central Scouting: 1 NA goalies, International Scouting Services: No. 2 (goalies), The Hockey News: No. 48, Button: No. 8

[Editor's note: Here comes installment number three of our draft coverage. Part 1 featured Centers, and Part 2 was all about the wings.]

The Capitals have a solid young core on the blueline that should last for some more time. That’s the result of successful work by McPhee and his staff at the last few NHL drafts. Of the seven defensemen likely returning, five of them were drafted by the Capitals, and all are 25 or younger. The prospect pool at the back end looks pretty decent as well with the acquisitions of promising players like Tomas Kundratek, Kevin Marshall, and Cameron Schilling, as well as the steady development of stay-at-home defenseman Patrick Wey in the NCAA. At the same time, with the graduation of Dmitry Orlov, the prospect list now lacks top-end potential. If the Caps feel like they need to strengthen their future top 4, they may look for a defenseman in the first round, especially since this draft is considered deep in that position.

In their current D-corps line-up, the Caps have John Carlson (RFA), Karl Alzner, Mike Green (RFA), Roman Hamrlik, Dmitry Orlov, Jeff Schultz, and John Erskine. Among the prospects, the standouts are Patrick Wey, Tomas Kundratek, Kevin Marshall, Brett Flemming, and Cameron Schilling.

So who might be available at  the number 11 spot?

Photo credit: Andreas Hillergren/Rogle BK

Hampus Lindholm, Rogle, Allsvenskan, 6’2″, 185 lbs. Former Caps great Calle Johansson is very high on this kid, who made the Allsvenskan team during the season. He ranked him even higher than the potential top-5 pick Filip Forsberg. Lindholm could be the biggest steal of the draft if he’s taken where he’s projected to be drafted. He has enough size and two-way ability to make the NHL very soon.

Rankings: TSN: No. 15, NHL Central Scouting: 4 EU skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 19, The Hockey News: No. 15, Button: No. 10

Photo credit: Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Olli Maatta, London Knights, OHL, 6’1″, 203 lbs. And here comes the Dale Hunter connection. This large Finnish defenseman doesn’t dominate in any part of the game, but he does everything pretty well. He’s a solid contributor defensively, he’s got some good instincts offensively. His tremendous postseason performance with the Knights, who made it to the Memorial Cup final, also improved his position.

Rankings: TSN: No. 10, NHL Central Scouting: 8 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 12, The Hockey News: No. 20, Button: No. 28

Photo credit: WHL Images

Griffin Reinhart, Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL, 6’4″, 198 lbs. Despite his height, he’s not the most physical defenseman but he is quite skilled at both ends of the ice. He can play efficiently defensively and join the attack when needed, and his shot is very good as well. His only problem is a lack of consistency, which many young players suffer from. Opinions on Reinhart’s overall offensive potential vary widely.

Rankings: TSN: No. 4, NHL Central Scouting: 10 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 6, The Hockey News: No. 8, Button: No. 6

Photo credit: Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Cody Ceci, Ottawa 67′s, OHL, 6’1″, 209 lbs. One of the highest-rising prospects of the year. In the Central Scouting Service’s rankings he went from 16th to 6th among North American skaters in half a year. He started 29th in Craig Button’s initial rankings, but ended up 11th in the final. Unlike Maatta and Reinhart, Ceci is a true offensive D-man whose skill is his main asset.

Rankings: TSN: No. 14, NHL Central Scouting: 6 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 19, The Hockey News: No. 10, Button: No. 11

And who might be available at number 16?

Matt Finn, Guelph Storm, OHL, 6’0″, 192 lbs. Finn, an effective player at both ends of the ice, has developed signficantly this year. He’s not a flashy defenseman, but he is very consistent. He lacks the outstanding skills of noteworthy peers, but he also has no overt weaknesses. He can play in any situation and has been compared to the Caps’ own John Carlson,

Rankings: TSN: No. 21, NHL Central Scouting: 16 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 18, The Hockey News: No. 18, Button: No. 9

Photo credit: Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Slater Koekkoek, Petersborough Petes, OHL, 6’2″, 184 lbs. Koekkoek didn’t play a whole lot of games in the last season due to a shoulder injury that has probably hurt his stock, but he has still managed to leave a good impression. He needs to keep it up, improve his defensive coverage, and add to his frame. If his injury fades, he has the potential to become a first pairing D.

Rankings: TSN: No. 16, NHL Central Scouting: 23 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 21, The Hockey News: No. 23, Button: No. 34

Photo credit: Tom Sorensen

Brady Skjei, US NTDP, USHL, 6’3″, 203 lbs. A smooth-skating D, Skjei is committed to the University of Minnesota, where he’ll play beginning next year. Speed is his main asset, though he also possesses above average power and defensive abilities. He needs to improve his offense, but he has natural tools to become a valuable NHLer.

Rankings: TSN: No. 23, NHL Central Scouting: 19 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 26, The Hockey News: No. 26, Button: No. 26

Photo credit: WHL Images

Derrick Pouliot, Portland Winter Hawks, WHL, 5’11″, 190 lbs. Pouliot is a classic offensive defenseman. A fantastic passer (maybe the best of the class, according to WHL From Above), Pouliot can run the power play effectively. He’s not a bad defensive player either, but he should develop his D-zone coverage. Pouliot needs to be more confident to take his game to another level.

Rankings: TSN: No. 17, NHL Central Scouting: 12 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 22, The Hockey News: No. 13, Button: No. 18

[Editor's note: You are now reading Part Two of Fedor's series on the draft. If you missed Part One, all about available centers, well then this link right here leaves you with no excuse.]

Despite Caps fans clamoring for another top six center, the Caps could certainly use one or two more wingers in the near future. With Kuznetsov’s delayed arrival and the likely departure of Alexander Semin, there’s a hole in the flanks. With the picks they have, the Caps could select a player who could contribute on the second line– particularly if they switch back to the fast-paced style of play that George McPhee hinted at during a pre-draft meeting with the media.

In their NHL line-up, the Caps currently have Alex Ovechkin, Jason Chimera, and Matt Hendricks on the left wing; and Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward on the right wing. The Caps’ top prospect is Stanislav Galiev at left and Evgeny Kuznetsov, somewhere far away, at right.

So who might be available at the number 11 spot?

Photo credit: Juha Sorri/Lehtikuva

Teuvo Teravainen, Jokerit, SM-Liiga, 5’11″, 165 lbs. Often compared to the Oilers’ Ales Hemsky, Teravainen possesses stickhandling and passing skills unusual for a winger. Though Teravainen mostly plays on the right wing, he can play center as well. He played at the highest level of Finnish club hockey this past season despite being one of the youngest 2012 draft-eligible players. Like many European prospects, strength is a concern for the young Finn.

Rankings: TSN: No. 7, NHL Central Scouting: 2 EU skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 9, The Hockey News: No. 12, Button: No. 5

Photo credit: Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

Sebastian Collberg, Frolunda, Elitserien, 5’11″, 176 lbs. Another skilled player from Sweden with slick hands and nice shot. He is a little undersized, but raised his stock during two international tournaments (U-18 and U-20 World Juniors). He wasn’t very efficient on offense in the SEL, but he still peaked into the top-15 of most rankings. Collberg, who plays right wing, needs to improve his physical play and bulk up.

Rankings: TSN: No. 27, NHL Central Scouting: 3 EU skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 13, The Hockey News: No. 14, Button: No. 27

And who might be available at number 16?

Photo credit: Plymouth Whalers

Thomas Wilson, Plymouth Whalers, OHL, 6’4″, 203 lbs. One of the most physically dominant players in the draft, Wilson was maybe the best player of the NHL Combine tests, cracking the top-10 in 17 of 29 events. A right winger, Wilson models his style play off the Bruins’ power forward Milan Lucic, playing a heavy-hitting, hard-nosed hockey without becoming an offensive liability. Though his stats with the Plymouth Whalers were far from fantastic, he stepped it up in the playoffs, becoming a point-per-game player.

Rankings: TSN: No. 18, NHL Central Scouting: 15 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 17, The Hockey News: No. 25, Button: No. 21

Photo credit: Johanna Lundberg/Djurgardens IF

Pontus Aberg, Djurgarden, Elitserien, 5’11″, 194 lbs. A versatile winger, Aberg was more successful than Collberg at the elite pro level of Swedish hockey because of his blazing speed. Aberg works very hard and– despite being less than six feet tall– weighs 194 pounds, which is not bad for an 18-year old. More of a shooter than passer, he’ll need to become a more well-rounded player to get a spot on the NHL roster.

Rankings: TSN: No. 37, NHL Central Scouting: 6 EU skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 20, The Hockey News: No. 22, Button: No. 33

Photo credit: Edmonton Oil Kings

Henrik Samuelsson, Edmonton Oil Kings, 6’2″, 195 lbs. Another right winger, Samuelsson saw his stock rise after he left the Swedish Elite League’s MODO to go play for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League. Pretty big for his age, he’s also shown that he can be productive in the North American style of play during some glimpses late in the regular season and during the Oil Kings’ playoff run. Warning: he’s the son of Ulf Samuelsson.

Rankings: TSN: No. 36, NHL Central Scouting: 75 NA skaters, International Scouting Services: No. 27, The Hockey News: No. 50, Button: No. 29