Prospect Info: 135th overall (2017): Vancouver selects D Kristoffer Gunnarsson (Frolunda)

[gianni]

Did anyone notice this guy at the scrimmage?

I believe he almost nailed Brock Boeser w/ an open ice hit (that Brock narrowly escaped) which was scary... 1 or 2 other hits sounded like they were bone crushing hard. Mainly curious how his skating looked to others?

 

[lawrence]

pick is much better then originally sounded.

Hoping some Swedish fans that have watched him can chime in.

I believe it was Jonathan dhalen who said he is very hard to play against and a deadly hitter.

 

[F A N]

Haven't been able to watch the scrimmages. How is his ability to move the puck?

 

[Siludin]

This guy has not registered a single point in the SHL in three seasons and zero in the Champions Hockey League despite winning it last year. It's actually quite impressive.

 

[VanJack]

This guy has not registered a single point in the SHL in three seasons and zero in the Champions Hockey League despite winning it last year. It's actually quite impressive.

Maybe he's good in the dressing room?......You'd love ask the guy in the Canucks scouting staff who got fixated on this guy, to come clean and tell us what they were thinking.

 

[F A N]

Maybe he's good in the dressing room?......You'd love ask the guy in the Canucks scouting staff who got fixated on this guy, to come clean and tell us what they were thinking.

I said this before, he obviously does somethings right. He was on the WJC team for Sweden. He amazingly contributes zero offensively, but there is obviously something there. He isn't some deservingly obscure prospect that the Canucks drafted.

 

[Melvin]

I said this before, he obviously does somethings right. He was on the WJC team for Sweden. He amazingly contributes zero offensively, but there is obviously something there. He isn't some deservingly obscure prospect that the Canucks drafted.

Well yes. He plays ice hockey in a league of men who play ice hockey. He is better than me, a 5'9" data nerd who can't skate backwards.

You should probably establish some kind of baseline for what you think a a wasted pick or obscure prospect is.

 

[Jevo]

The more you look at Gunnarsson, the more baffling the pick becomes. He has never shown any offensive instinct at all, at any level. Not even in juniors. The best he has is 0.39 PPG in U20 in his D+1 season. Why you pick a guy like this at 20 years old is really strange. Even if you are a beast defensively, you need a minimum of offensive instincts to succeed at the NHL level, and this guy is not even close.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

He’s Anton Cederholm all over again.

 

[F A N]

According to Dhaliwal he needs to be signed by June 1st. He’s 22 so his ELC needs to be 2 years. He has another year left on his contract in Sweden. I still would like to see how he plays with the Comets but he will join a growing list of Dman drafted in the 5th to 7th round pick Benning didn’t sign. At this point it looks like a pass.

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

He’s Anton Cederholm all over again.

at least he destroyed that poor medicine ball
what has this guy do? no offense to gunnarsson

 

[timw33]

According to Dhaliwal he needs to be signed by June 1st. He’s 22 so his ELC needs to be 2 years. He has another year left on his contract in Sweden. I still would like to see how he plays with the Comets but he will join a growing list of Dman drafted in the 5th to 7th round pick Benning didn’t sign. At this point it looks like a pass.

Quite possibly one of the easiest passes in recent memory. 2 points in 28 games in his draft year (already a big 'wait how?') and then 2 points in the 111 total GP since being drafted.

It's actually stunning how he hasn't picked up even some second assists from like a puck lobbed on net or any outlet pass.

 

[FroshaugFan2]

at least he destroyed that poor medicine ball
what has this guy do? no offense to gunnarsson

Pre-season 2017 - set Frölunda HC club bench press record (weight unknown). The previous record holder was long-time NHL center Samuel Påhlsson (145 kg/320 lbs).

Kristoffer Gunnarsson at eliteprospects.com

 

[TruGr1t]

I recall this was the pick where Benning actually attempted to draft a bottom pairing / depth defenseman for some reason.

 

[ziploc]

If the Canucks want to enter a guy into the World's Strongman Competition, this was a superb pick.

 

[pahlsson]

Kristoffer Gunnarsson at eliteprospects.com

Pahlsson is a beast

 

[timw33]

I recall this was the pick where Benning actually attempted to draft a bottom pairing / depth defenseman for some reason.

Direct quote from draft day mic'd up "This guys' gonna play"

 

[Melvin]

Quite possibly one of the easiest passes in recent memory. 2 points in 28 games in his draft year (already a big 'wait how?') and then 2 points in the 111 total GP since being drafted.

It's actually stunning how he hasn't picked up even some second assists from like a puck lobbed on net or any outlet pass.

I think he basically barely plays. I remember reading somewhere that at some point he was averaging fewer than ten minutes per game.

Great pick.

 

[M2Beezy]

Guess we can stop including him in trade proposals

 

[Hockeyphysio]

Its always fun to think of the Benning logic.

Lets draft a guy in the 5th round who one day if all works out we think he would be worth a 7th round pick

 

[Guardian452]

LOL @ folks complaining that a 5th round pick turned out to be a bust. Less than 20% of 5th round draft choices ever play a game in the NHL. So far Benning is batting 33% on his 5th round picks with one looking like a 3rd line center and another a third pair D.

 

[timw33]

LOL @ folks complaining that a 5th round pick turned out to be a bust. Less than 20% of 5th round draft choices ever play a game in the NHL. So far Benning is batting 33% on his 5th round picks with one looking like a 3rd line center and another a third pair D.

No one is complaining that a 5th round pick turned out to be a bust.

We are annoyed that we essentially took a player with a player who was a write off from the moment he was drafted (see Rahimi, Stewart, Hannay, Cederholm types) and also have our GM on tape saying that this player will play in the NHL.

It was a zero upside waste of a pick, made worse by our GM thinking he just drafted a sure thing.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

I didn't like the pick either - you don't draft stay-at-home defensemen - but he looked decent in our last camp and will be interesting to see if he can build on that. Probably a career minor leaguer at best, but who knows?

 

[Melvin]

I didn't like the pick either - you don't draft stay-at-home defensemen - but he looked decent in our last camp and will be interesting to see if he can build on that. Probably a career minor leaguer at best, but who knows?

The Canucks lose his rights on June 1. I doubt he ever comes to North America.

 

[M2Beezy]

The Canucks lose his rights on June 1. I doubt he ever comes to North America.

Still a better place to live then wherever hes from