Welcome back to my top ten rankings of prospects hailing from each country. We've already covered Canada and USA, today we're going to go over another very deep list in Sweden. The first of two Scandanavian countries i'll be tackling, let's take a look at who the Super Swedes hold.
10. Rasmus Andersson, D, Barrie Colts, OHL (2nd round, 54th overall in 2015 to the Calgary Flames)
Andersson has taken on a leadership role in what will likely be his final season in Barrie, serving as alternate captain while currently playing as the team's number one defenseman. He had a very solid season for them last year with 64 points in 67 games, very solid numbers for a defenseman. This season he's upped the ante a little bit with 48 points in 51 games, and if he keeps playing the way he does then he should surpass his previous total and work for a roster spot on the Flames next season.
9. Sebastian Aho, D, Skelleftea AIK, SHL (Top prospect eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft)
This name sounds familiar doesn't it? It should. There is a Finnish prospect with the exact same name as this guy who gained fame for centring Finland's top line at the World Juniors with top 2016 NHL Draft prospects Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine. This guy is a little bit different, however. He's a small defenseman who manages to put up solid points for a defenseman in the SHL. He currently has 15 points in 34 games for Skelleftea this season and after going undrafted in 2014 and 2015, there should be many teams interested in his services this year.
8. Niklas Hansson, D, HV71, SHL (3rd round, 68th overall in 2013 to the Dallas Stars)
Hansson is one of the Swedish prospects that flies under the radar, given his age and where he plays. However, Hansson is one of the better developing defensemen playing in the SHL. He currently has 21 points in 35 points playing against mostly men. He's a solid puck moving defenseman who has the ability to produce very well offensively while maintaining himself nicely in his own zone. He's one of the Stars' top defensive prospects and is expected to make the jump to the Stars' AHL team after his final season with HV71.
7. Dmytro Timashov, LW, Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL (5th round, 125th overall in 2015 to the Toronto Maple Leafs)
Timashov is a very interesting and exciting case. A native of Kirovograd, Ukraine, he holds dual citzenship with Sweden and Ukraine, but chose to represent Sweden at the World Juniors. He's arguably the steal of the 2015 draft, posting ridiculous numbers in his post-draft season. He already had very good totals in his first QMJHL season with 71 assists and 90 points in 66 games with the Quebec Remparts, and in 2015-16 he's recorded a total of 75 points in 45 games as of late, splitting time between the Remparts and the Shawinigan Cataractes. He's an incredible playmaker and had a good WJC campaign, posting 7 points in 7 games.
6. Joel Eriksson-Ek, C, Farjestad BK, SHL (1st round, 20th overall in 2015 to the Minnesota Wild)
Joel Eriksson-Ek was the first Swede to be drafted in 2015, and the Wild certainly were not disappointed with who they picked up. Eriksson-Ek is having a solid run with Farjestad this season, recording 14 points in 31 games. These totals are impressive given his age and his competition. He played a defensive role for Team Sweden at the World Juniors and will likely play out the rest of his contract in Sweden to develop before making the jump to North America.
5. Gabriel Carlsson, D, Linkoping HC, SHL (1st round, 29th overall in 2015 to the Columbus Blue Jackets)
Carlsson is a prime example of what you want in a future solid top four defenseman. He's got size to him at 6'4 and 183lbs, he's very good defensively and pretty solid offensvely. He currently has 6 points in 37 games for Linkoping this season, and totaled three points for Sweden at the World Juniors while playing in a shutdown role. Like Eriksson-Ek, he will likely play out the rest of his contract with Linkoping before making the transition to North America, but it's also a possiblity that he leaves early to join the Jackets' farm team.
4. Jacob Larsson, D, Frolunda HC, SHL (1st round, 27th overall in 2015 to the Anaheim Ducks)
Larsson is very similar to Gabriel Carlsson, given that they both play solid two way games, but Larsson has a slight offensive upside and is producing better numbers in the SHL. He currently has 13 points in 38 games for Frolunda, which is pretty impressive given his age and the fact that he's playing against mostly men. He will play a big part on the Ducks' future defensive core alongside of Canadian Shea Theodore if he develops properly.
3. Adrian Kempe, LW, Ontario Reign, AHL (1st round, 29th overall in 2014 to the Los Angeles Kings)
The first player in a North American Pro league that we see on this list, Kempe is developing smoothly in his first full pro season in the AHL. The Kramfors, Sweden native has put up 21 points in 37 games for the Reign and played a key role for Sweden in the World Juniors, putting up 8 points in 7 games. Soon after he was drafted, scouts began to compare him to current Los Angeles Kings forward and two time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter, so he could end up fitting well into the Kings' system if he develops properly.
2. Alexander Nylander, LW, Mississauga Steelheads, OHL (Top prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft)
Nylander was once regarded as a potential late first round/early second round prospect heading into the 2016 NHL Draft, but since joining the Mississauga Steelheads prior to being selected by them in the 2015 CHL Import Draft, he has skyrocketed in the rankings and is now projected to go in between 5th-10th overall. He currently has 69 points in 47 games for the Steelheads and is a big part of their success this season. On top of that, he had a great World Juniors campaign, recording 9 points in 7 games. Whoever picks this kid up is getting a great player.
1. William Nylander, C, Toronto Marlies, AHL (1st round, 8th overall in 2014 to the Toronto Maple Leafs)
We just finished talking about one Nylander, so why not talk about another? William Nylander, older brother of Alexander, is currently having a phenominal AHL season for the dominating Marlies, with 40 points in 32 games at age 19. He was expected to play for Sweden at the World Juniors this season, but was forced out in game one against Switzerland after taking a headshot from Swiss prospect Chris Egli. Nylander managed to salvage a goal from that game, and up until that injury he was leading the AHL in scoring. He's technically NHL ready this season, but Leafs management wanted to be sure with him and left him in the minors for one final season. He's essentially a lock to make the Leafs next season.
Thanks for reading, everyone.
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