Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Draft / Pick #28 - Nils Lundkvist (D)

[SnowblindNYR]

Weird I see either that he's great in the defensive zone or that he's a work in progress. No in between.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Except Boqvist was the one putting up points, which still counts.

I have never watched Lundkvist play and he seemed like a late first rounder, so I don't hate the pick...but why pick him over Sandin who TOR took 1 pick later? What can he do better than Sandin?

But Boqvist spent most of his season in the SuperElit junior league while Lundkvist spent most of his season in the SHL as a key contributor.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

Except Boqvist was the one putting up points, which still counts.

I have never watched Lundkvist play and he seemed like a late first rounder, so I don't hate the pick...but why pick him over Sandin who TOR took 1 pick later? What can he do better than Sandin?

Lundkvist is a much better skater then Sandin and he's better defensively. Sandin better in the offensive zone and more physical.

 

[JimmyG89]

Stralman.

That's where I am at this point, and we've never replaced Stralman since he left. Give this kid 2 years in the SHL and let him come over at 20 and see where it goes.

 

[Ghost of jas]

Lundkvist is a much better skater then Sandin and he's better defensively. Sandin better in the offensive zone and more physical.

Based on your viewing, can he run a PP? Shane Malloy, who thought we had a great 1st round said he could. I love Kravtsov, but this might be my favorite pick.

 

[Edge]

Weird I see either that he's great in the defensive zone or that he's a work in progress. No in between.

I'd like to see him work on his spots and timing.

I think he's capable of good defense, and I think his offensive upside is very good. But it's a matter of learning to do both.

However, I think he's a kid who if given the ice time, and some patience, has tremendous growth potential.

 

[Ola]

Edge- Good point.

Bouchard sported a full beard when he was 14. He is like 200 lbs now and did 14 pull ups. He is physically at the level of a NHLer.

This is Lundkvist like a couple of months ago. He is still a kid, haven’t turned 18 yet and he is still growing and developing physically.

The Luleå fans I talked to said he was often the best player on the ice, Clarke talked about how he tried to skate 8s around everyone. Lundkvist was really good and solid for Sweden in the U18, he was Swe’s bread and butter D behind Boqvist. The one the coach always threw out there to stabilize things and win momentum.

My point is just, we don’t know how NL will look in 5 years. Will he be 5’11? 6’1? 6’2? 175 lbs? 200 lbs? He has a ton of hockey in him, great conditions to keep developing really well for a long time. His uncle, Janne Dragshot, was pretty big and physical.

 

[Ola]

Nils Lundkvist has been picked for Sweden’s camp before the WJSS, no other of our picks has been taken for this U20 team:

Målvakter:
Adam Åhman (Oskarshamn), Samuel Ersson (Västerås), Olle Eriksson-EK (Färjestad).
Backar: Adam Ginning (Linköping), Adam Boqvist (Brynäs), Tom Hedberg (Modo), Sebastian Walfridsson (Modo), Simon Johansson (Djurgården), Nils Lundkvist (Luleå), Rasmus Sandin (Rögle), Filip Westerlund (Frölunda).
Forwards: Emil Bemström (Djurgården), Jonatan Berggren (Skellefteå), Oskar Bäck (Karlskoga), Jacob Olofsson (Timrå), Lucas Elvenes (Rögle), Olle Lycksell (Linköping), Isac Lundeström (Luleå), Erik Aterius (Leksand), Filip Hållander (Timrå), Linus Karlsson (Karlskrona), Rickard Hugg (Kitchener), David Gustafsson (HV71), Fabian Zetterlund (Färjestad), Marcus Sylvegård (Malmö).

 

[Ola]

Nils’ dad (to the left) isn’t exactly a physical monster compared to former NHLer Mattias Öhlund (to the right), but OTOH the times are changing...

 

[kovazub94]

Love what I’m reading about this kid. SHL regular (often best player for his team) who looks like my 14-year old? Can you project the boom factor?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Gorton must've been reading these boards with all the complaints about us not extending Stralman, so he drafted Stralman Jr.

Now all of you complainers can stop talking about "what if we extended Stralman?"

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

One of the stories I heard on Thursday was that a couple of the observers kept confusing this kid for Boqvist, and not because of the name. It was how he could dart and dance in and around the offensive zone and how well he moved the puck. I was thrilled when they took him.

I think there are similarities between Lundkvist and Boqvist with skating, shot to an extent, defense, puck moving, but I think the main reason why Boqvist is so much higher is that he has the look of a real top-flight OFD, while Lundkvist is more of a puck-moving D without the top-flight offensive skills.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Gorton must've been reading these boards with all the complaints about us not extending Stralman, so he drafted Stralman Jr.

Now all of you complainers can stop talking about "what if we extended Stralman?"

I was actually going to make the joke that Gorton hopped on here after Day 1, saw everyone complaining about Wahlstrom and how he's going to light the Rangers up for the next 10+ years and went "I'll show them" and goes out and drafts a goalie first thing the next morning

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Gorton must've been reading these boards with all the complaints about us not extending Stralman, so he drafted Stralman Jr.

Now all of you complainers can stop talking about "what if we extended Stralman?"

So you've been complaining about us drafting Stralman as a late first rounder?

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

Saw his interview with Bruce Beck. Seems like a really good kid. Looks REALLY young (maybe because he is...). Funnily enough, he gives a deep breath before every sentence just like Zuccarello.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I wouldn't even consider switching his league for another two years. I hope the Rangers make that clear to him. Tell him to get comfortable in Sweden, and turn into a SHL star the next two years. Hopefully he plays in two WJC's, and can get some Swedish National Team games, as well. After that, he's 20 years old, bring him over to try to make the roster out of camp, and see how he does.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

Based on your viewing, can he run a PP? Shane Malloy, who thought we had a great 1st round said he could. I love Kravtsov, but this might be my favorite pick.

I think he can do that.

 

[Alluckks]

I thought you were trolling with that pic...

He looks like he is 15 lol

 

[Good Intentions]

I really enjoyed Nils’ high school character in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

Niles Crane in Frazier runs a close second.

 

[Polar Bear]

Underrated upside with him due to this age IMO.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

Underrated upside with him due to this age IMO.

Playing well as a D in the SHL at 17 is very impressive. I think his upside is being undersold; there’s a lot of room for growth here, IMO.

 

[Edge]

Edge- Good point.

Bouchard sported a full beard when he was 14. He is like 200 lbs now and did 14 pull ups. He is physically at the level of a NHLer.

This is Lundkvist like a couple of months ago. He is still a kid, haven’t turned 18 yet and he is still growing and developing physically.
View attachment 126683

The Luleå fans I talked to said he was often the best player on the ice, Clarke talked about how he tried to skate 8s around everyone. Lundkvist was really good and solid for Sweden in the U18, he was Swe’s bread and butter D behind Boqvist. The one the coach always threw out there to stabilize things and win momentum.

My point is just, we don’t know how NL will look in 5 years. Will he be 5’11? 6’1? 6’2? 175 lbs? 200 lbs? He has a ton of hockey in him, great conditions to keep developing really well for a long time. His uncle, Janne Dragshot, was pretty big and physical.

One thing I keep stressing with our top 4 picks is patience, patience, patience.

Each of them has work to do and aren’t close to the finished products. They’re not Zadina or Bouchard or Dobson or even Veleno in terms of readiness.

We haven’t talked about it much, but 2 of their top 4 picks won’t even turn 18 until later this summer — they’re on the younger side.

The two higher picks - Kravtsov and Miller are still very much putting the pieces together as well.

Kravtsov still has to grow physically and gain more experience and confidence.

Miller is the most physically developed of the top picks, but he’s still learning a relatively new position and just learning to combine the different facets of his game.

This is very much a longer term draft for the Rangers. That’s not necessarily an easy sell or a popular concept in a league that is pushing for younger players making quicker impacts.

 

[Joey Bones]

 

[Levitate]

what's with some of those games having absolutely no one in the stands

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

so basically a Boqvist type, but with better hockey sense, without concussion and dyslexia issues and at #28 instead of top 10.