C/RW Jonatan Berggren - Skelleftea, SWE JRs (2018, 33rd, DET)

[GC]

Berggren won the prize of the best forward in superelit and Got a place in the swe u18 in russia. This kid has skills....

He has some serious skills, always has. The prize was unofficial though.

 

[WestCoastExpress94]

This guy might be the best swedish forward in the draft.

 

[Teemu]

Hat trick in his first game of the U18s. All even strength, too.

 

[VictorLustig]

 

[Bozek J]

This Guy is amazing to watch, 3 goals in the first game... think he is the best offensive player in the sweu18... time Will tell

 

[Teemu]

Two assists today and now behind only Hughes in the scoring race

 

[Kase]

IMO easily the most noticeable forward from Sweden again.

Was hoping that he would get past 2nd round so the Wild could pick him up with the Buf pick they own, but his play so far in this tournament has made it even more unlikely to happen.

 

[VictorLustig]

Berggren is one of those "let's pick him up later"-guys who 5 years from now will be well worth a 1st round pick. Been very unimpressed with the other top Swedish forwards lately, Berggren is the only one who shows game breaking abilities in international tournaments.

 

[Peeps]

He did good in SuperElit and he continues to do good in the U18. I think he belongs in the top 45 easily. Even the top 30 if he continue this way in the tournament.

 

[rickardr]

He did good in Allsvenskan and he continues to do good in the U18. I think he belongs in the top 45 easily. Even the top 30 if he continue this way in the tournament.

Allsvenskan? He never played there..

 

[Bozek J]

@VictorLustig Indeed. Berggren is the best forward in sweden right now... BUT they need Olofsson, and the other
top forwards to play good in this tournament... Only the third line FW in sweden makes plays right now... berggren was on the ice on all 4 goals today. impressive.. VERY!
Thank god we have Boqvist

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

I had him in the early 2nd round, his tournament play thus far is confirming the success he has this season, probably getting in the 1st round for me.

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

Been impressed with Berggren play again today, best forward for Sweden, impressive vision, speed and puck moving ability

 

[Saxon]

So much for the Habs grabbing him with an early second....

 

[Ola]

Berggren is one of those "let's pick him up later"-guys who 5 years from now will be well worth a 1st round pick. Been very unimpressed with the other top Swedish forwards lately, Berggren is the only one who shows game breaking abilities in international tournaments.

I made a post about him a while back at the NYR boards. I think I said something like this is a kid I would have called a midround pick 10 years ago, a 2-3 round pick just a few years ago — but now you really got to question it he should t be picked in a first round.

There is just all kind of room in the NHL for these kids. Look at a Jesper Bratt. A Jake Guentzel. A Cam Atkinson. There are so many others more or less like each other, but if you can skate with the puck it pays off so much.

What JB has is a 200 feet speed game and skill game. He is fast on the back check. He gets going really fast with the puck and has that effortless stride that enables him to be in control and weave through a defense to get up ice. Creative with the puck and can find the back of a net. But top end abilities aren’t special.

For a long time I always with these kids felt like, well they make a lot of good things, but it just won’t amount to much. When you go deep if nothing else, there will be no room for them. But no it’s like the opposite.

With a kid like Jonathan Berggren I think you really got to sit down and more or less — name for name — in a first round ask yourself, why do I value this kid higher than Berggren? Looking at the NHL right now — are there really grounds for it?

I can only speak for my self, but there seem to be solid LDs all over the place right now. Biggest problems teams have are vets on contracts. The younger RDs are more rare, but also easier to find now. The younger kids are just built to fit the criteria you are lookinng for. From my POV, I just think it’s harder to find that skill and speed up front. Do you take a LD with OK 2nd pairing potential over a kid like Berggren? The later can become really good. How about a Serron Noel? Isac Lundestrom? And so forth. I am not calling it either way. Just saying it’s a challenge to prioritize these things.

 

[Bozek J]

@Ola Intressting. So you think a player like Berggren can go in the first round?

 

[Frk It]

Chytil and Borgstrom made a late push in their draft year and kind of surprisingly ended up in round 1. But both of them were a decent amount bigger than this kid. So not sure if he will follow suit or not. Definitely seems like there is some skill there though.

 

[Ola]

@Ola Intressting. So you think a player like Berggren can go in the first round?

Yeah, and I mean, I just think this kid is a better player than say an Akil Thomas. Why shouldn’t he be picked in the same range?

 

[Frk It]

Yeah, and I mean, I just think this kid is a better player than say an Akil Thomas. Why shouldn’t he be picked in the same range?

Has Berggren played any center? I think Akil has some value because he has played a ton of center this year, and is actually a pretty complete player in addition to having some skill.

 

[Bozek J]

@Ola agree 100% on what you say. Have been follow berggren for a very long time now and this kid can play
hockey for real, 57 pts in Superelit... . Gonna blow out in shl next year trust me guys!

 

[Bozek J]

@Frk It Berggren started the season Center, but now winger!

 

[Ola]

Has Berggren played any center? I think Akil has some value because he has played a ton of center this year, and is actually a pretty complete player in addition to having some skill.

I also think a lot of it is about perception and past experience.

Take Kaut for example. I like him a lot. He is almost a year older than Berggren so it takes a little adjustment comparingthe two. But anyway, why will he be picked in the 1st round? Solid size. Good player, solid potential. RHS that fits well on a PP. Can compliment other top guys well. Will or even is a good player already.

My instinct say that he just is likely to become a good player with some upside, albeit not a ton of it.

But doesn’t the exact same thing apply to Berggren? Looking around the league, which player type is more likely to have success? 10 years ago it would have been Kaut over Berggren. When the smaller faster guys made it, they often had to be elite. But now, the smaller speedier guys are like having more success than any other type. Just look at the top 100 scorers in the NHL, these guys are all over the place.

I have Kaut higher than Berggren for sure. But my point is just that I really think you got to question your first instinct with these things, because the truths that applied just 3-5 years ago. Should a Kaut go top 20 and a Berggren top 60? Why?

I saw the WJSS this summer. Jesper Bratt was really good. Ask me then what I thought about him and I wouldn’t be that high on him. I probably would have asked — what will his ability amount to in the NHL? Is there room for that style? Now only 6 players from the 2016 draft has scored more than him. He has more pts than Puljujärvi. And it’s not about being a later bloomer, the kid is only 20 lol. He was right there at the biggest stage for all tournaments, we all saw him do well in the U18 and so forth. Why were guys like Tufte, Max Jones, Trent Frederick and everyone like that picked in the 1st and Bratt in the 6th? If a Joel Eriksson-Ek is solid he goes top 15 or whatever, if someone smaller, with tremendous wheels, but only solid sniping and playmaking abilities is about as good in juniors he can drop very late...

 

[Frk It]

@Frk It Berggren started the season Center, but now winger!

Didn't know that... thanks!

 

[Bozek J]

@Ola Nice example. anyway.. Im looking forward to watch the game swe-can tomorow...berggren against Akil... cant wait

 

[Bozek J]

Berggren's 2nd assist against team slovakia... WOW! this kid is amazing