mikael backlund ... top 10 ?

[atreides]

After de U18 in Finland ...

Any chance that a team pick him in the top10 ?

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[Redwingsfan]

After de U18 in Finland ...

Any chance that a team pick him in the top10 ?

nope. one tournament isnt going to improve he's stock that much. maybe top 20.

 

[nanzenkills]

I highly doubt that he goes in the top 10, in spite of his strong showing in Finland. I would guess that he will go somewhere in the 15-35 range. This draft is pretty wide open, so I think it is hard to nail it down more specifically than that.

 

[hawksfan50]

Yes he had a hat-trick in the Bronze medal game which helped his goal stats for the tourney--BUT though he was solid and looks to have a more pro size and body,he did not look that creative --as shown by his just 1 assist total for the U-18...he was not a "dominant" player inthe game they way Hjalmarsson was (he was brilliant just about every shift...so I don't know if this one game outburst of goals from Backlund was enough to propel him back into a top ten pick...probably not..

 

[Redwingsfan]

where is hjalmarsson expected to be picked???

 

[Preds666]

where is hjalmarsson expected to be picked???

I did not attend the tournament, but from the in-depth reports I have received from people watching all of Sweden's games, Backlund was good, but nothing out of the ordinary.

When it mattered the most (in the semfinals) he was not playing like he should, which was also the case with two other "stars" - Oscar Möller and Joakim Andersson. The latter had a rough tournament offensively, basically being the third defenseman behind ultra offensive 90-duo Mattias Tedenby och Andre Petersson.

Still, it nice to see Backlund getting some goals. Hopefully he will stay healthy and have a good 07/08 campaign in the Swedish second tier league. As for draft position, I think he will be a late first round pick or a second round selection.

 

[vincetheprince]

where is hjalmarsson expected to be picked???

4th round pick in 05 by the blackhawks.

 

[KRM]

4th round pick in 05 by the blackhawks.

Many people namned Hjalmarsson is Sweden you know

 

[vincetheprince]

Many people namned Hjalmarsson is Sweden you know

Oups. My bad, thought it was Niklas Hjalmarsson but then i realized he is not 18 anymore.
Anyway where is Simon Hjalmarsson expected to be picked? He had a decent tournament.

 

[Number 57]

I don't see why it's impossible that a team picks him in the top 10. He was projected as the top pick with Esposito before the season started, and then he got injured and his stock went downhill from there.

With his strong U18 he proved he could still perform near the level he was before the 2006-07 campaign. This kid's potential is through the roof and when all is said and done I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the top players to emerge from this draft. It's all about who will have the best career, and IMO Backlund will have a solid one.

As for Hjalmarsson, I've always liked him, and IMO he's better than Andersson. Yes he's small, but he's more than willing to go into traffic areas and doesn't get pushed around that much. I could definitely see him ending up a 65 pts 2nd liner. I'd pick him early 2nd...

Speaking of Swedes, can anyone tell me anything about Carl Hagelin?

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't think so.. He had a hat-trick.. but he wasn't noticable unless he scored a goal. He wasn't everywhere on the ice.. it just seemed when he had a chance he buried it. That's not warranting enough for a top 10 pick.. However, I'm higher on Oscar Moller who seemed to create a ton, but couldn't finish anything..

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah.. I hope Montreal stays away from Per-Joakim Andersson.. just based on the games I seen from him. Completely invisible..

 

[Redwingsfan]

i wouldnt cry if the wings picked hjalmarsson with the 30th overall pick

 

[Number 57]

I don't think so.. He had a hat-trick.. but he wasn't noticable unless he scored a goal. He wasn't everywhere on the ice.. it just seemed when he had a chance he buried it. That's not warranting enough for a top 10 pick.. However, I'm higher on Oscar Moller who seemed to create a ton, but couldn't finish anything..

Haha you made it sound like we're comparing Bulis and Vanek...

Who would you rather have?