Prospect Info: #100 Malte Setkov, 6'6" Lh Defenceman

Valdemar

Danish junior hockey
Oct 6, 2007
481
116
Flamesnation mention him in a pre-draft article about late round defenceman targets.

You can find it here.

"The big Dane has been a surprising piece of the Malmo U20 team, finishing third in defensive scoring, and the second youngest of all regular defencemen on the team.

He’s been described as a very calm, very smart defensive player. Despite his hulking size, he’s known to be a quick footed and controlled skater. Although his offensive game is still quite limited (not featured on the Malmo powerplay) and his shot quite weak, he contributed mostly through smart break out passes and excellent play reading.

Setkov is likely a long-term project player, which makes him a smart choice in the later rounds. He still has a few pounds to add and could use some professional experience before he ever comes over to North America. But he’s definitely a smart pick to make in the sixth or seventh round. Perhaps one of the more underrated prospects in the draft."

Author: CHRISTIAN TIBERI

I hope it is OK with the author that I post it here.

Note: He became part of the Malmo powerplay in the later part of the season (2017), so the article is not completely correct.
 

Valdemar

Danish junior hockey
Oct 6, 2007
481
116
I don't see any real reason for him to go to NA at the moment. The things that he need to focus on can easily be done in Sweden. He is playing on a good junior team, and he may get a chance to train with (or even play on) the Malmö SHL team if he develops satisfactory.
 

Vandalay Industries

Registered User
Feb 13, 2008
622
157
Not picked in CHL import draft.
He will continue to develop overseas.


Could have been a pretty good move, to force him to play more physical, than he is now.

His skating is very good for a player his size, but he does have problems with the footwork in small areas as most players his size. That part would also be challenged much more in WHL or OHL than in Swedish J20 SuperElit.

Plenty of good reasons to make that move to North America.

No doubt he is picked solely on the potential brought about by his size, but he still needs to develop what to do with this size. It's mainly to just be a bump in the ice he uses the size, so he needs to turn in more direct physical play to make the size more useful.

Offensively he is not of much use as of now. But let's see if he might be able to develop this down the line. He makes sound decisions with the puck in his own end and can make a nice outlet pass. He doesn't try to force anything flashy, so he pretty rarely makes those big blunders with the puck. You will want to play him as much as possible in his own zone. (=3rd line D).

Only small issue in his own end is that he tends to watch the puck a bit too much, so he sometimes misses the opposing player's movements on the blind side, because he doesn't take enough small moments out to check things out aroud him. But maybe he will get better at this - again: I think this would have been a thing he would be forced to develop more in OHL/WHL. It does put him on the wrong side of players now and then, but generally he plays well in his own end defensively due to the size and good skating.

All in all: I understand the choice, although maybe it could have waited a couple of rounds. The potential is there due to the basic toolbox, especially the size combined with the absolutely decent skating.
 

waltdetroit

Registered User
Jul 20, 2010
2,649
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No doubt he is picked solely on the potential brought about by his size said:
Actually IMO, he wouldn't have been picked just for size if he didn't skate well. For the most part, the 2 traits , size & skating ability, went hand in hand this draft. I agree with the rest of your analysis - supposedly he has a decent shot too
 

Vandalay Industries

Registered User
Feb 13, 2008
622
157
Actually IMO, he wouldn't have been picked just for size if he didn't skate well. For the most part, the 2 traits , size & skating ability, went hand in hand this draft. I agree with the rest of your analysis - supposedly he has a decent shot too


What I mean is, that without his size his skating wouldn't be interesting at all. It's not like he skates particularly well for a 6'0 player. So what I meant by that particular sentence is that it's the size that makes his NHL-potential. Had he been a bad skater, of course the size wasn't enough :) So like I said in one of the other sentences it's the combo of size and very good skating for his size that does the trick. But he needs to play to his size - not to his skating :)
 

waltdetroit

Registered User
Jul 20, 2010
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What I mean is, that without his size his skating wouldn't be interesting at all. It's not like he skates particularly well for a 6'0 player. So what I meant by that particular sentence is that it's the size that makes his NHL-potential. Had he been a bad skater, of course the size wasn't enough :) So like I said in one of the other sentences it's the combo of size and very good skating for his size that does the trick. But he needs to play to his size - not to his skating :)

I also like that he made such a huge leap last year. Let's not forget the 3rd trait = his abundant character!
 

Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
31,077
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Tampere, Finland
How is he looking at WJC?

So far Setkov has assisted Denmark's lonely goal and is -4 in 2 games.

Plays a "Norris" role, with most minutes in their defence, ~22mins per game.
 

Dotter

THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
Jul 2, 2014
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It's more than a little concerning when the players own coach is 'perhaps' surprised he was drafted.

I mean he went on to say good things about the player... "If he can improve."
you hope is answer would be "not at all, it was a smart pick".

Everything about him sounds like a massive project.

Well, he is like the 100th pick. You're not getting a fully groomed 6'6" NHL ready player at that spot.
 

Reddwit

Registered User
Feb 4, 2016
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Only saw him in the US v Denmark game. Very hard to draw any meaningful conclusions from that game. Denmark might as well have been in a PK posture all game. He did look more advanced than his peers though. An encouraging project is what I’d consider him in my limited viewing.
 

Vandalay Industries

Registered User
Feb 13, 2008
622
157
I gotta be honest: A very bad tournament by Setkov here.

Denmark has a very bad defensive line-up in this years U20 which forces the coach to overplay Setkov. I guess that's why his passes are way worse than usual and he makes bundles of mistakes in the defensive zone.

He is also manning the blueline on the powerplay with no effect at all. He doesn't have the shot to man this role to begin with and his passing play is just not up to the challenge of being the quarterback on the powerplay.

In the game tonight against a not too scary Slovak team his pants were torn to the ice by Milos Roman on the 3-1 goal. First he stripped Setkov of the puck and then he spun him off to put in the goal that in effect closed the game. And Denmark was on the powerplay just to make things worse. Take a look at it in the highlights.

At this point it's really a long work in process to make an NHL player of Setkov, I gotta tell you. But hey, anyone can have four bad games in a row...
 

Pavels Dog

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Feb 18, 2013
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He's in over his head playing on the worst team in the tournament. Who would have thought.
Yeah it's usually completely impossible to judge players on teams that are so outmatched. And as a 4th rounder he shouldn't be expected to excel individually this early. He seems like your typical raw prospect with lots of potential, will need years of development.
 

Vandalay Industries

Registered User
Feb 13, 2008
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I wouldn't say "lots of potential", but he has nice skating abilities for such a tall guy. His hockey-IQ is not impressive though and he does tend to be caught by smaller, faster players a lot around the net.

In the Danish team the coach has been forced to play Setkov in this offensive role since he has none better. I absolutely wouldn't rate Setkov as an offensive defenseman, but he himself seems to think, he has a lot to offer in this area. I thnik that once he realizes he is a stay at home defenseman, he might start developing the defensive skill, but if no one tells him and he deson't realize it himself, I think he will go to waste, because he is not even close to being good enough on the offensive to make this his area of expertice.
 
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Henkka

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I wouldn't say "lots of potential", but he has nice skating abilities for such a tall guy. His hockey-IQ is not impressive though and he does tend to be caught by smaller, faster players a lot around the net.

In the Danish team the coach has been forced to play Setkov in this offensive role since he has none better. I absolutely wouldn't rate Setkov as an offensive defenseman, but he himself seems to think, he has a lot to offer in this area. I thnik that once he realizes he is a stay at home defenseman, he might start developing the defensive skill, but if no one tells him and he deson't realize it himself, I think he will go to waste, because he is not even close to being good enough on the offensive to make this his area of expertice.

This sounds for me like Jonathan Ericsson. Former forward which did transfer to defence, and started playing like a stay-at-home.

So 3rd pair potential could be realistic for Setkov? He could make those mistakes, but that reach saves his ass and is just money in todays NHL to sweep the net-front loose pucks. And it's the reach with good skating. Good combo.
 

ChadS

Registered User
Jun 30, 2009
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He missed a bunch of games prior to the WJC due to injury, so probably wasn't quite ready coming into the tournament. Even more so as a 18 year old in a #1 D role. But what he's done in Sweden this year is very promising.

Comparing Setkov to a similar pick in 2016, Alfons Malmström, it's like night and day. I still haven't seen anything from Malmström that suggest he should have been anything more than a 7th round longshot pick.
 
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Konnan511

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He missed a bunch of games prior to the WJC due to injury, so probably wasn't quite ready coming into the tournament. Even more so as a 18 year old in a #1 D role. But what he's done in Sweden this year is very promising.

Comparing Setkov to a similar pick in 2016, Alfons Malmström, it's like night and day. I still haven't seen anything from Malmström that suggest he should have been anything more than a 7th round longshot pick.
I'm hoping Malmström is a late bloomer, but my God, that dude may have regressed since being drafted.
 

Killerjas

Registered User
Mar 6, 2017
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I don't think this guy is gonna come to North America, he can't keep up in the SHL and he is struggling in the Allsvenskan. He was never a point producer but you expect him to set up plays with his so called "good skating abilities". I just don't see how he will become even a 3rd liner on a weak Detroit team. He is behind the recent drafted D's and he is almost 21 already.
 

Henkka

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Jan 31, 2004
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Pavels Dog

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Dissapointingly he is getting loaned out to AIK in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's 2nd league. AIK is short on defenders due to injuries. Malte wasn't getting a lot of ice time, which sucks. He is still struggling in the SHL.

AIK lånar in Malte Setkov
From what I have seen, I don't think he has exactly been struggling in SHL. But not getting a ton of playing time is true.

Although I still like his tools, I think he is not progressing enough to become an NHLer.
 

Ed Ned and Leddy

Brokering the Bally Sports + Corncob TV Merger
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Disappointed to hear, Setkov was probably my favorite of the 10,000 giant defensemen we drafted under Tyler Wright. Looks like an NHL future is probably not in the cards for him, hopefully he carves out a nice role for himself in Sweden.

The '17 draft was a big oof.
 
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