I took Bjornfot with my 24th overallpick
MCKEENS 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE - This has somewhat understatedly been a banner year for Swedish defensemen in the draft. Philip Broberg had been highly touted from the get-go and finishes on top of the group after hitting a trough earlier in the year. Victor Soderstrom steadily improved his play throughout the year to the point that he deserves to be ranked right alongside Broberg. A late riser to the scene has been Albert Johansson, creating some late waves. While those three were raising and lowering and raising their profiles around him, Tobias Bjornfot continued in his stately way, reminding anyone who cares to ask that he is also a very worthy first round pick.
Not that there was really any reason to ignore Bjornfot in the first place. He has long been groomed in the National program, and has now represented his country at the U16, U17 and U18 levels. In fact, he comes to the draft a veteran of two WU18 tournaments, with both a Bronze and a Gold Medal counted among his rewards. At the U16 level in Sweden, he was a veritable superstar. In the well-known TV-Pucken tournament, he was named Best Defensemen in the event while leading his team to a Gold Medal. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the U16 SM league.
At the time, he was a very offense-driven defenseman. Last season, he was a regular in SuperElit, Sweden’s top U20 league, helping his team win the league title, and being named to his first WU18 tournament. It was at the latter event where he showed that he is far more than an offensive defenseman. He played a strong game against older opponents, using both his body and his stick to keep things clear in the back.
Before his draft year got officially underway, he played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, further establishing his defensive reputation, showing growing calmness in his own zone and playing a regular penalty killing role. While he did spend a small portion of his draft year in the SHL – even playing in the playoffs for his SHL team, he spent most of the year again in the SuperElit, earning himself the nod as the league’s best defenseman. That last reward was a recognition of his growing two-way game as his offensive game was good, but not near the head of the league.
At this point, Bjornfot is a legitimate two-way defender, with the ability to contribute at both ends and in all game situations. He rarely makes the same mistake twice and is almost always found on the right side of the puck. He is helped in the latter endeavor by his strong four-way skating. He is a long strider, who can cut down on the length when he is accelerating allowing him to conserve energy.
While he did not produce the kinds of numbers this year as he had in the past (especially internationally), he still has a full set of offensive tools in his bag. He has a good wrist shot with velocity and a quick release. He lacks the kind of slapshot typically associated with a powerplay quarterback though.
He is a solid stickhandler and good passer, as likely to make the simple, safe play as he is to attempt something more challenging. Bjornfot also has respectable size for the NHL game, with the strength to match. He can handle pressure in his crease and can bring out an aggressive streak, although that isn’t his first recourse. The narrative around Bjornfot has been steady throughout his time on the prospect radar. What you see is what you get. That is, a nice future number three blueliner.
From an article: IIHF 2019 World U18 Championship Preview – Sweden By Jimmy Hamrin On April 15, 2019
Two-way defenseman who is both physically strong and skilled with the puck. He reads and process the game well and can take over games at the J20 level and has done well at the SHL level. He is a strong skater and is a first-round caliber talent for the upcoming draft.
From an article: IIHF 2019 World U18 Championship Review – Sweden By Jimmy Hamrin On May 2, 2019
The captain of Team Sweden. Bjornfot showed the doubters of his offensive capabilities that he is a strong puck-mover. He didn’t produce enough points though to raise his stock as his power play performance was a bit underwhelming. In Djurgarden, he takes more offensive action and scores beautiful goals at times, but here he almost always passed the puck to either Raymond or Holtz for them to finish the play instead. That said, his defensive game and decision-making Were both impressive. He used his strong skating and made on the right percentage plays all tournament.
A scouting report from Jimmy Hamrin, November 2018
Summary: A mobile two-way defenseman with top four potential. He does not have the high-end skillset to become a first pair defenseman but his smarts and stability make him a good top 4 or top 6 defenseman. Even though he does not have big point producing offensive potential he has good offensive elements. He is a strong passer, a good puck carrier and possesses a dangerous wrist shot.
Tobias Bjornfot plays for one of the best teams in the SHL and will have a tough time cracking the lineup this season but the game he played – he played well, so I would bet he will see more SHL games as the season progresses. For the draft, I see him being a late first round pick at this point. His overall game and the lack of any significant hole in his game should make him attractive for the draft. He is a good bet to make the NHL.
Skating: Strong skater. Moves smoothly and well in all directions. He is fast over both short and long distances. He has good skating technique, he is “sat” with lower body strength and glides well. He has long strides but when he accelerates his stride is a bit shorter. He has good top speed and is hard to beat with speed. Bjornfot can travel with the puck due to his skating as well. Grade: 60
Shot: Bjornfot has a good wrist shot. He shoots both hard and with a quick release. He can shoot through traffic. He is an okay goal scorer for a defenseman. He scored on 8% of his shots in his first season in SuperElit and is at that level again early this season. That is a strong number from the blueline. He rarely uses his slap shot effectively. Grade: 55
Skills: He has good control of the puck. It sits well on his stick and he is a good passer. His fail percentage is probably low based on what I have seen. He can deke through someone as well as to use a simple play. Across the blueline he moves well with his skates but also with good puck control. Grade: 55
Smarts: Bjornfot plays a two-way game and he is strong at both ends of the ice. He is poised and has leadership qualities. He has also shown good ability to adapt to a new stage. He has played one SHL game (with probably the most stacked team in the league this season) and during that game his performance really grew from shift to shift. He can quickly learn from his mistakes and adapt as needed. Bjornfot is most often on the right side of the puck and with his skating he is effective in shutting down the game or to at least slowing it down for the opposing attack. He reads situations well and rarely makes mistakes. He is a low-risk player in that regard and finds a way to perform under pressure. Grade: 60
Physicality: He is steady built with average size. He has good balance and can play physical when he needs to. He is strong along the boards and can handle pressure in front of the net as well. Grade: 55
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 57.75