Swedish D

[Jerrico]

Please rank these six Swedish d-men in terms of ceiling. I want to know how they compare, not necessarily right now, but in terms of projected potential in their primes. Please make separate rankings for offensive ceiling, defensive ceiling, and overall ceiling. Use spacing to indicate a significant gap in skill.

Erik Karlsson
Victor Hedman
David Rundblad
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Adam Larsson
Tim Erixon

Thanks

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[Dougie Seguin]

id go with:

Hedman
Karlsson
Larsson
OEL
Erixon
Rundblad

 

[MonaHan Solo]

Offensive ceiling:
1. Erik Karlsson
2. David Rundblad
3. Victor Hedman
4. Adam Larsson
5. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
6. Tim Erixon

Defensive Ceiling:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Tim Erixon
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Victor Hedman
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

Overall:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Victor Hedman
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Tim Erixon
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

 

[HSF]

Offensive

Karlsson
OEL
Rundblad
Hedman
Larsson
Erixon


Defensive

Larsson
Hedman
Erixon
OEL
Rundblad
Karlsson

Overall

Hedman
Larsson
OEL
Karlsson
Rundblad
Erixon



Though a lot of these guys are really close imo that they are interchangeable

 

[arsmaster*]

Offensive ceiling:
1. Victor Hedman
2. David Rundblad
3. Erik Karlsson
4. Adam Larsson
5. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
6. Tim Erixon

Defensive Ceiling:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Tim Erixon
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Victor Hedman
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

Overall:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Victor Hedman
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Tim Erixon
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

Thats a pretty good overall listing. Here's my NHL comparison.

Hedman - Bouwmeester (The Florida years 45-55 point 30 minute a night guy)
Rundblad - Mike Green (off the charts offensive ability)
Karlsson - Rafalski (will put up point, while controlling games and shutting down the top lines)
Erixon - Mattias Ohlund (top 4 two-way defensman).

I would say overall:

Larsson
Ekman-Larsson
Hedman
Karlsson
Rundblad
Erixon

The Swedes have sure put out some good defensman over the last few years.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Larsson is without a doubt number 1.

Offensive:

Karlsson
Rundblad
OEL
Larsson
Hedman
Tim Erixon

Defensive:
Larsson
Hedman
Erixon
OEL
Rundblad/Karlsson

Overall:

Larsson
Hedman
OEL
Karlsson
Rundblad
Erixon

 

[ErikKarlsson]

Offensive ceiling:
1. Victor Hedman
2. David Rundblad
3. Erik Karlsson
4. Adam Larsson
5. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
6. Tim Erixon

Defensive Ceiling:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Tim Erixon
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Victor Hedman
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

Overall:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Victor Hedman
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Tim Erixon
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

Decent list except how in the world is Hedman top in the offensive category? I just want to know how you came to that conclusion.

 

[Inf4mous0ne]

Decent list except how in the world is Hedman top in the offensive category? I just want to know how you came to that conclusion.

lol exactly my thoughts

 

[cheerupmurray]

I think Tim Erixon might surprise you all offensively and put up good numbers in NHL. His season right now is the fifth best point-wise in SEL ever by a junior defenseman. He only got 3 points up to Hedmans record and might break the record before the season is over. He is a two-way guy.

I see a lot of raw offensive potential in Hedman, he seems to have a lot of tools offensively(like for example his excellent skating) but haven´t figured out how to use them in NHL yet. You can for example see him move the puck with great speed and power but when he pass the blueline he suddenly got no plan and just throw the puck away.

Don´t know if he will blossom in a couple of seasons when he feels more secure or if he will turn in to a damn good shutdown d-man that eats a lot of icetime.

 

[Hossa]

If Swedish posters are answering, I'd be curious to see where Ekholm slots in. Considering his performance this year with Brynas, I would imagine he's at least in the conversation with Erixon and Rundblad.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Offensive

1. Kaelsson
2. Rundblad
3. Larsson
4. Hedman
5. Ekman-Larsson
6. Erixon

Defensive

1. Hedman
2. Larsson
3. Ekman-Larsson
4. Rundblad
5. Erixon
6. Karlsson

Overall

1. Hedman
2. Larsson
3. Ekman Larsson
4. Karlsson
5. Rundblad.
6. Erixon

 

[madmike77]

I think Tim Erixon might surprise you all offensively and put up good numbers in NHL. His season right now is the fifth best point-wise in SEL ever by a junior defenseman. He only got 3 points up to Hedmans record and might break the record before the season is over. He is a two-way guy.

I see a lot of raw offensive potential in Hedman, he seems to have a lot of tools offensively(like for example his excellent skating) but haven´t figured out how to use them in NHL yet. You can for example see him move the puck with great speed and power but when he pass the blueline he suddenly got no plan and just throw the puck away.

Don´t know if he will blossom in a couple of seasons when he feels more secure or if he will turn in to a damn good shutdown d-man that eats a lot of icetime.

I don't think anyone is knocking Erixon - it's just that all 6 are very good. I'm a Flames fan and can't wait to see Erixon up with Calgary.

Ceiling-wise I'm not sure Erixon compares as well to some of the other defencemen, but I also think his floor is a lot higher than some - ie. he's a safer bet to stick in the NHL.

 

[AE]

Offensive

1. Karlsson
2. Ekman-Larsson
3. Larsson
4. Erixon
5. Rundblad
6. Hedman

Defensive

1. Larsson
2. Hedman
3. Erixon
4. Ekman-Larsson
5. Rundblad
6. Karlsson

Overall

1. Larsson
2. Hedman
3. Ekman-Larsson
4. Karlsson
5. Erixon
6. Rundblad

I don't see Rundblads offensive game translating to the NHL.

 

[Manny*]

I guess I don't see the same potential in Hedman as most of you, but here's my interpretation:

Larsson
Ekman-Larsson
Hedman
Karlsson
Rundblad
Erixon

 

[Alfieghetti]

Overall:

Larsson
Karlsson
Hedman
OEL
Rundblad


Erixon

 

[1978]

I think Tim Erixon might surprise you all offensively and put up good numbers in NHL. His season right now is the fifth best point-wise in SEL ever by a junior defenseman. He only got 3 points up to Hedmans record and might break the record before the season is over. He is a two-way guy.

I've been very critical towards Erixon, but I do have to agree with you here, he's got quite a nice slapshot and I wouldn't at all be surprised if he ended up putting up decent numbers in the future.

 

[SurMartin]

I've been very critical towards Erixon, but I do have to agree with you here, he's got quite a nice slapshot and I wouldn't at all be surprised if he ended up putting up decent numbers in the future.

Seconded. Erixon has sometimes been the scapegoat with Larsson and Rundblad going so well in the SEL and he might have the lowest ceiling out of all of these D's, but he has still been solid and has a great slapshot.
..And as we saw in the WJC, he seems to do well on the smaller rinks.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Wow, am shocked that folks think Hedman is the better overall prospect/player than Larsson.

 

[Hybbe]

Larsson
OEL
Hedman
Karlsson
Rundblad
Erixon

It's close between OEL and Hedman, very close.

 

[Pyke*]

It amuses me how badly Karlsson is regarded...

I think people will be pretty surprised in 2-3 years when he's got NHL size to complement his elite skills.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Wow, am shocked that folks think Hedman is the better overall prospect/player than Larsson.

I'm the opposite, I can't believe anyone has him above Hedman.

 

[KRM]

Larsson
Hedman
Karlsson/Ekman-Larsson
Erixon
Rundblad

Overall list, Larsson has the highest ceiling in all categorizes IMO, Hedman second because I think in five years he has reached a whole new level of play. Karlsson and OEL are basically interchangeable IMO, feels odd to rank Erixon so low but compared to the competition it's not a knock on him really, I believe he will be a stud top four defenceman for many years, think Niklas Kronwall. What Rundblad has done this year is simply staggering, nonetheless I just can't see his game translating well to the NHL, it was quite obvious at the WJC and unless he makes a major change in style of play I think he'll just end up being a better skating version of Andreas Holmqvist.

 

[y2kcanucks]

1. Erik Karlsson
2. Adam Larsson
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Victor Hedman
5. David Rundblad
6. Tim Erixon

 

[arsmaster*]

I'm the opposite, I can't believe anyone has him above Hedman.

Players that have played with both, describe Hedman as more of a physical specimen, whereas Larsson is big, but thinks the game above Hedman's level.

 

[XO]

Offensive ceiling:
1. Erik Karlsson
2. David Rundblad
3. Adam Larsson
4. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
5. Victor Hedman
6. Tim Erixon

Defensive Ceiling:
1. Victor Hedman
2. Adam Larsson
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Tim Erixon
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad

Overall:
1. Adam Larsson
2. Victor Hedman
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
4. Tim Erixon
5. Erik Karlsson
6. David Rundblad