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

[Loffer]

What's his upside? 2nd line center?

Sure.

 

[Rogie21]

Borgström named first-team all-star in U20 league.
http://www.eliteprospects.com/awards.php?award=Jr. A SM-Liiga First All-Star Team

 

[tealhockey]

Borgström committed to Denver today. He had a lot of interest from top tier NCAA programs

Marco Bombino highlighted his draft prospects back in November: http://overtheboards.net/henrik-borgstrom-a-hidden-gem-for-the-2016-nhl-draft/

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Nice. I think the college route should be good for him. Less games should mean more time to improve his strength, that is, unless he gets carried away with his studies (which probably wouldn't be a bad thing per se ). Wonder who will draft him...

 

[Aavco Cup]

https://www.nhl.com/news/lucas-johansen-learning-from-brother-ryan/c-280858790?tid=277764372

3. Top underrated prospect: Center Henrik Borgstrom, who had 29 goals and 55 points in 40 games for HIFK Jr. in the Finnish junior league this season, has made up a lot of ground among the top international skaters.
Borgstrom (6-3, 176), No. 9 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of international skaters, is a player "full of surprises," according to NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb. He'll play in North America at the University of Denver in 2016-17.

"He's a different player with outstanding playmaking and puck-handling skills," Stubb said. "He's a crowd-pleaser with his surprising moves. He didn't play in the Finnish pro league since he was playing college next season."

Borgstrom seems set to play a big role for Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal.

"I think there's a good chance he might be drafted late in the first round or early in the second," Stubb said.

 

[felixhockey]

https://www.nhl.com/news/lucas-johansen-learning-from-brother-ryan/c-280858790?tid=277764372

3. Top underrated prospect: Center Henrik Borgstrom, who had 29 goals and 55 points in 40 games for HIFK Jr. in the Finnish junior league this season, has made up a lot of ground among the top international skaters.
Borgstrom (6-3, 176), No. 9 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of international skaters, is a player "full of surprises," according to NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb. He'll play in North America at the University of Denver in 2016-17.

"He's a different player with outstanding playmaking and puck-handling skills," Stubb said. "He's a crowd-pleaser with his surprising moves. He didn't play in the Finnish pro league since he was playing college next season."

Borgstrom seems set to play a big role for Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal.

"I think there's a good chance he might be drafted late in the first round or early in the second," Stubb said.

Isn't he finnish?

 

[Puckluck]

Finnish

Isn't he finnish?

Yes, he is Finnish although his name is Swedish. 5.5% of the Finnish population speak Swedish as their mother tongue. Henrik Borgstrom is one of them, but his nationality is Finnish.

 

[wings5]

Yes, he is Finnish although his name is Swedish. 5.5% of the Finnish population speak Swedish as their mother tongue. Henrik Borgstrom is one of them, but his nationality is Finnish.

You mean he is of Swedish ethnicity but born and of Finnish nationality.

 

[Puckluck]

You mean he is of Swedish ethnicity but born and of Finnish nationality.

Yes, exactly.

 

[Marre]

You mean he is of Swedish ethnicity but born and of Finnish nationality.

No, not really. He could be or could not, but most likely is from mixed bloodlines. No one has kept book all those 800 years there has been both Finnish speakers and Swedish speakers living in current Finland area. Many families have went from one language to other multiple times. They do have kept some kind of count about 400 years now and I know my family at that time seems to have changed their first language back and forth several times and we finally ended up Finnish speakers to this date about 80 years ago (though half of the family married back to Swedish speakers 50 years ago again.) And certainly most have lots of mixed marriages on their family tree. Swedish speakers in Finland are not immigrated Swedes in the way people think of immigration. There were originally people who came from Sweden, but it was so long ago, that nowadays Swedish speaking Finns can only be considered Finns, who happen to be Swedish speaking. Some current Swedish speakers are likely descendants of those Swedish people, some are not. Same goes more or less to Finnish speakers in those areas where Swedish is also spoken.

There are parts of Finland where it is possible that people do not have, at least much, mixed Swedish blood in their veins, but other way around not so much.

 

[ijuka]

Finland has people with Swedish names who speak Swedish who live in areas that primarily speak Swedish. That doesn't mean they aren't 100% Finnish.

Speaking of Borgström, he's my #1 steal of the draft.

 

[Tormentor]

"I think there's a good chance he might be drafted late in the first round or early in the second," Stubb said.

Bizarre comment. Stubb is out to lunch with this one.

 

[BusQuets]

Bizarre comment. Stubb is out to lunch with this one.

Pretty sure he said the same about Aho before 2015 draft and you didn't agree with him..

Not saying it will happen this time though.

 

[Quethas]

Bizarre comment. Stubb is out to lunch with this one.

Then again two years ago:

Stubb povaa varauksia myös ainakin kahdelle muulle suomalaiselle.

– Isokokoinen Eetu Sopanen saattaa yllättää, samoin Kärppien lupaava, mutta hieman hidas Antti Kalapudas.

– Uskon, että myös Teemu Lämsä (TPS), Hannes Björninen (Pelicans) ja Joni Tuulola (HPK) saattavat mennä toisella tai kolmannella kierroksella. Sebastian Repo (Pelicans) ja HIFK:hon siirtyvä Sebastian Moberg ovat myös vahvoilla.

Translation is that Stubb thought Sopanen and Kalapudas could be drafted. He also thought Lämsä, Björninen and Tuulola might be picked in second or third round. Repo and Moberg were also considered as strong candidates.

None of them were drafted in 2014 draft.

Borgström has the talent and he might be interesting pick just because of his potential. But I would be extremely surprised if he would be picked before the end of second round. He feels way too risky pick for the 1st / early 2nd.

 

[Tormentor]

Pretty sure he said the same about Aho before 2015 draft and you didn't agree with him..

I was out to lunch about Aho, I already admitted that in August after watching the Lake Placid evaluation camp. The 2015 draft in general was a fail for me, hopefully I learned something from it.

Borgström going early on in the draft would be 2002 and Jesse Niinimäki all over again. I believe NHL teams do their homework better these days. Borgström has upside, but he's too much of a question mark to be a value píck "late in the first round or early in the second".

 

[ijuka]

I don't think he'll be picked early second(most likely early third IMO), but I don't think it'd be a mistake to pick him early second depending on who's left. He has some serious potential and he's big and skilled.

 

[BusQuets]

I was out to lunch about Aho, I already admitted that in August after watching the Lake Placid evaluation camp. The 2015 draft in general was a fail for me, hopefully I learned something from it.

Borgström going early on in the draft would be 2002 and Jesse Niinimäki all over again. I believe NHL teams do their homework better these days. Borgström has upside, but he's too much of a question mark to be a value píck "late in the first round or early in the second".

So Borgstrom has 1st round talent, maybe even top15 but he's too lazy to work for it?

 

[perstakli]

You mean he is of Swedish ethnicity but born and of Finnish nationality.

Nope. Finnish Swedes are not ethnically Swedes - they are either Finns or a separate ethnic group, depending on your point of view but certainly not Swedish.

 

[Tormentor]

So Borgstrom has 1st round talent, maybe even top15 but he's too lazy to work for it?

Borgström has very good puck skills and he showed great playmaking ability while playing in Finnish Jr.A. One of the things that add uncertainty to his case is the fact that he hasn’t proven his worth and offensive ability at a higher level of play. Furthermore, he’s a 2nd year eligible with an uneven game and somewhat questionable competitiveness/work ethic. Skating and physique can be worked on, but it doesn’t help that those aspects of the game are lacking at present as well.

1st round prospects are generally more pro ready than Borgström, not to mention a year younger as well. Borgström might eventually develop into a nice player, emphasis on the word ‘might’ because there’s no telling how he turns out in the end. He’s too much of a gamble to be a sensible 1st/2nd round selection.

 

[Puckluck]

Nope. Finnish Swedes are not ethnically Swedes - they are either Finns or a separate ethnic group, depending on your point of view but certainly not Swedish.

According to researchers quoted in the swedish media from finland the Finns from Western Finland, but especially the swedish speaking finns are gentically closer to swedes than to Finns from Eastern Finland. http://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2008/10/24/genetiska-skillnader-mellan-ost-och-vast

I would assume the Swedish speaking Finns could be compared to the French speaking Canadians a few hundred years in the future. There will certainly be a lot of mix from the rest of the population.

Anyways, this is a hockey forum and debating ethnicity may become almost as contentious as the Laine - Matthews debate. Just like them, both people are great, although there may be some differences (at least the language).

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Borgström has very good puck skills and he showed great playmaking ability while playing in Finnish Jr.A. One of the things that add uncertainty to his case is the fact that he hasn’t proven his worth and offensive ability at a higher level of play. Furthermore, he’s a 2nd year eligible with an uneven game and somewhat questionable competitiveness/work ethic. Skating and physique can be worked on, but it doesn’t help that those aspects of the game are lacking at present as well.

1st round prospects are generally more pro ready than Borgström, not to mention a year younger as well. Borgström might eventually develop into a nice player, emphasis on the word ‘might’ because there’s no telling how he turns out in the end. He’s too much of a gamble to be a sensible 1st/2nd round selection.

Have you actually seen him?

 

[Tormentor]

Have you actually seen him?

Of course not.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Of course not.

Sorry if I'm missing something, but where did it come from that he has a poor effort level? This guy sounds like the equivalent to Jost and could be a total steal for someone.

 

[Tormentor]

Sorry if I'm missing something, but where did it come from that he has a poor effort level? This guy sounds like the equivalent to Jost and could be a total steal for someone.

I’ve seen Borgström live several times during the last two seasons and I do think that he has a somewhat questionable competitiveness/work ethic. Coaches have worked hard to round out his game and make him a more dependable player, so the problem isn’t as pronounced as earlier but there are still situations where he’s cutting corners.

Both Borgström and Jost are centre forwards, but otherwise they are very different players.

 

[timlap]

Have you actually seen him?

Of course not.

I’ve seen Borgström live several times during the last two seasons and I do think that he has a somewhat questionable competitiveness/work ethic. Coaches have worked hard to round out his game and make him a more dependable player, so the problem isn’t as pronounced as earlier but there are still situations where he’s cutting corners.

Both Borgström and Jost are centre forwards, but otherwise they are very different players.

I'm confused.