C Henrik Borgström - HIFK, Liiga (2016, 23rd, FLA; traded to CHI)

[Eyelanders]

Thought I could start a thread for this prospect as I have been extremely impressed by Borgström this season. He has played 23 games for HIFK U20, scoring 18 goals and 19 assists. He's a big, lanky center with excellent puck skills and offensive instincts. Makes timid passes and also has a deceptive shot, making him a threat in the offensive zone. He's smart and committed defensively as well. He's also a very disciplined player.

NHL Central Scouting has given Borgström 'C' rating, indicating that he's a 4th/5th/6th round candidate. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being drafted in the TOP-90. Once he adds some more muscle to his 6'3 frame, he'll be even more difficult to stop. He's got good speed considering the fact that he's grown a lot over the past few years.

Also, it's possible that he'll be going to the college route according to Over The Boards: https://twitter.com/OverTheBoards/status/667382290146807808

Click to read more...

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Thought I could start a thread for this prospect as I have been extremely impressed by Borgström this season. He has played 23 games for HIFK U20, scoring 18 goals and 19 assists. He's a big, lanky center with excellent puck skills and offensive instincts. Makes timid passes and also has a deceptive shot, making him a threat in the offensive zone. He's smart and committed defensively as well. He's also a very disciplined player.

NHL Central Scouting has given Borgström 'C' rating, indicating that he's a 4th/5th/6th round candidate. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being drafted in the TOP-90. Once he adds some more muscle to his 6'3 frame, he'll be even more difficult to stop. He's got good speed considering the fact that he's grown a lot over the past few years.

Also, it's possible that he'll be going to the college route according to Over The Boards: https://twitter.com/OverTheBoards/status/667382290146807808

Intriguing prospect, but I think you meant something else than "timid passes"

 

[FinPanda]

Maybe he'll be in the next years WJC roster. I've heard a lot of good things about him.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Borgström has been impresiive in HIFK U20 team.
But i'm wondered that why HIFK hasn't give him his first liiga games.

Of course if he really is going to play in NCAA next season he can't play any games in HIFK liiga team.
But honestly said if there's chance to keep him in HIFK next season it'll be great.

HIFK has lacked for their junior production so many years.
And they are really far for Blues and Kärpät for producing really good future FEL players their own juniors.

Even jokerit is ahead for HIFK what comes to junior work.
Also i'm were a bit surprised that Borgström didn't get invited for Finland's last world junior camp in December.

Goran Stubb said Yle puhe's liiga night in Spetember that Borgström is a dark horse to participating in world juniors.
As a HIFK fan i wanna see Borgström in HIFK's FEL team next season if it's possible.

Juuso Puustinen hasn't been that good since season 2013-2014 so Borgström would be solid replace player for Puustinen's spot.
Hopefully Tom Nybondas realize to sign this guy next seasons HIFK's FEL roster.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

I had never seen him play, so I dug around the internet a bit and found this (he is #5 on the white team):



I know that one game is an extremely small sample size, but here goes:

+ He has great offensive skills

+ He has a very efficient looking glide and edge work

- He lacks effort, especially on the defense

- When his team lost the puck in the offensive zone, you could sometimes see him stop skating

- He seems to have poor acceleration

- He "skates" (glides) in big circles and his defensive play suffers from it

All in all, I think that the negatives in his game are fixable, if he wants it enough. The most glaring deficiency in his game was the lack of effort, which manifested itself in the way he skates, avoiding stopping and starting, and in his poor play on the backcheck. He also seems to have a very lanky build at the moment, at 190 cm (6'3) and 77 kg (170 lbs) and I think that a part of his skating problems is due to lack of strength, which is easily fixed.

He reminds me of a bigger Ville Leino in good and bad. Great offensive skills, creativity and flair coupled with an overall lack of effort. I want to be clear that I have always enjoyed watching Ville Leino and I consider it a compliment to Borgström to be compared with him (unlike probably the majority of posters here ). I think that he could be a prototypical late round gem à la Detroit; he has the raw talent, but his overall game seems to need a lot of work and patience.

 

[Eyelanders]

Borgström had an average game yesterday against TPS U20, he lost the puck at the offensive blueline which lead to a breakaway and goal for the opponent. He did score a very nice goal though. Tonight he scored three goals against Kiekko-Vantaa, showing great separation speed and going top shelf on the second goal. Also had the primary assist on HIFK's fourth goal. He looked much sharper today and his effort was good at both ends. Needs to play a more simple game in certain situations, but his skill level is really good.

Unlike the poster above, I think he'll be drafted before late rounds.

 

[rduck1]

I'm almost certain that he wants go through the college route, or is at least thinking about it. He would've been called up before a few of the players that filled in during a little injury crisis earlier in the season, and the only explanation I can think of is that he wants to avoid pro status to maintain his eligibility.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Seems like pro scouts are higher on him than I was based on that video above; NHL Central Scouting has him at #11 on their list of international skaters. I wish there was a little more video of him as I find him intriguing.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-central-scouting-international-skater-rankings-1.425358

 

[FinPanda]

Yeah he was higher than I thought.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

http://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2016/01/20/ville-peltonen-om-fem-ar-vet-betydligt-fler-vem-niki-ar

Yle sport's article of Henrik Borgström.
Sorry for that this is for Swedish.

My hockey English isn't so good to translate this for English.
If this got deleted so be it.

 

[Zaddy]

http://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2016/01/20/ville-peltonen-om-fem-ar-vet-betydligt-fler-vem-niki-ar

Yle sport's article of Henrik Borgström.
Sorry for that this is for Swedish.

My hockey English isn't so good to translate this for English.
If this got deleted so be it.

Well, the short version is that he acknowledges that he has to get better at faceoffs, defensive play and improve his physique. Ville Peltonen (assistant coach) said that his defensive play and skating needs to improve and that they work on that aspect daily.

He also hasn't made a decision yet whether he wants to go the college route or not. He said a couple of schools have shown interest but he doesn't really know which road he wants to take at this point but is hoping that he can make a decision pretty soon.

 

[wings5]

USHL/NCAA next year or does he get some Liiga games?

 

[Loffer]

NCAA is my educated guess...

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

USHL/NCAA next year or does he get some Liiga games?

Borgström is going to really likely in NCAA.
He can't play any liiga games if he wants stay NCAA eligible.

 

[Dabest]

What round will he be drafted this year?

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

NCAA is my educated guess...

Hopefully not.
HIFK will lost many forwards ( Partanen, Zaborsky,Puustinen, Rask, Elkins, Ikonen and Ramstedt are all contingent outgoing players players after this season)
And Borgström is one of those A junior guys who could get big role in HIFK next season.

If he will stay in Finland.
Tom Nybondas will be making a big mistake if he even wont try sign this guy.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

What round will he be drafted this year?

No idea but i'll guess somewhere 2-6 rounds.
Borgström didn't even get called Finland's evaluation camp before world juniors.
So i can't say for sure how that will affect his draft position.

 

[Eyelanders]

No idea but i'll guess somewhere 2-6 rounds.
Borgström didn't even get called Finland's evaluation camp before world juniors.
So i can't say for sure how that will affect his draft position.

Not sure if you're serious... The only thing that might affect his draft position is that he has only played U20 hockey thus far. Regardless, Borgström is a very good prospect and won't be available in the late rounds.

 

[Dabest]

Not sure if you're serious... The only thing that might affect his draft position is that he has only played U20 hockey thus far. Regardless, Borgström is a very good prospect and won't be available in the late rounds.

So a 3rd round pickish?

 

[Tormentor]

So a 3rd round pickish?

He's a mixed bag on the ice. Very high skill level, but there also aspects that he needs to work on. Interviews might play a notable role in where he goes in the draft. 3rd is a possibility, but could also silde to 4th or 5th round.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Borgström seems raw physically which can actually work for him rather than against him. He has lots of untapped potential which can be realized if and when he gets stronger and faster. He seems to be a classic boom or bust type of prospect.

 

[Quethas]

Borgström is still very raw and he needs to improve many aspects of his game and he definitely needs to make simpler plays in the future. He seems like a project that could bust but he has the talent and he definitely has the upside to be productive player in the NHL. The combination of size and skill is very intriguing and I think he will be drafted somewhere in the mid-rounds.

 

[Dabest]

He's a mixed bag on the ice. Very high skill level, but there also aspects that he needs to work on. Interviews might play a notable role in where he goes in the draft. 3rd is a possibility, but could also silde to 4th or 5th round.

Would he be worth a 5th round pick?

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Would he be worth a 5th round pick?

Definitely. Picking in the 5th round is a complete crapshoot in any case, so why not pick someone who has tremendous offensive potential and hope that he will improve in those other aspects. However, he could be gone before the 5th round.

 

[Dabest]

Definitely. Picking in the 5th round is a complete crapshoot in any case, so why not pick someone who has tremendous offensive potential and hope that he will improve in those other aspects. However, he could be gone before the 5th round.

What's his upside? 2nd line center?