Yep. This was no analytics pick for sure. If you just look at the stats, measurements, nobody would have picked this guy in the first round. Only measurement that he has, is his height. I heard the name first time just around a week before the draft... I red, that this guy could go high in the draft and thought who he was. I hadn't followed the A-junior league that closely in the last season. Borgström played his first A-junior season as an 18 year old. That's not impressive. It's rare that a player ever becomes an NHL player, if that is the case.
A-junior league is actually U22 league, with most of the players at 18, 19, or 20 of age, eventhough it is usually referred to as a U20 league, but most of the guys, who make it in NHL at young age, score similar numbers as an underager at 16, or 17 years of age.
It is clear to me, that the Panthers people saw him play many times during the season. I watched three last season games of him after the draft and I can see, that this guy understands the game at next level and reads the game at next level. His positioning is very good and he has an extremely fast thinking an he always knows where to pass, or what to do, before he gets the puck. He sees the ice very well and always finds a pass that makes something happen. He either creates a scoring change for his linemates, or passes the puck for a guy, who has time and space and is in a position to create something. He thinks the game offence first.
One interesting thing in the three games was, that Borgström gives quality passes. In the three games he made only three passes, that did not go where he wanted it to go. Two of them were cut by opponent checkers and only one was a poor pass. Ok, you could say, that this was the second "numbers thing" on his side.
The most visible feature in his game was probably his hands. Borgström has very good hands and a very good puck control and he is a very good and a flashy deker. This is a guy, who is able to beat the whole opponents five by deking.
And when he gets the puck, he makes always something happen offencively. He definetely needs to play in a stronger league in the future.
Borgström has a decent, fast wrist shot, but never uses a slap shot. Has a long stride, but I think his skating is quite ok. Just needs more power and could become a decent skater in the NHL level.
Defencively he reads the game well and cuts passes effectively. As already said earlier his effort level is somewhat questionable and the circling in his own zone hampers his defencive game in some situations. He circles goes he his waiting a change to get to offence.
In many ways Borgström reminds me of Jesse Niinimäki. Both the pick and the player. As a player Borgström looks very similar to Jesse Niinimäki, when Jesse was in his best seasons and they both were similar "of the board picks" in the first round. But I would say, that Borgström at 23 in this draft was a better pick, than Niinimäki at 15 in 2002. In both case hard work needed at long term.
You could criticize this pick because they took a long term project in the first round, while he was ranked as a 2-4 rounder and probably would have been available at 33 pick, but if they thought this was the best guy available at 23... let them try with him.
