Getting to Know the Draft Picks: Volume 6 - Jesper Lindgren

The third round had just passed, and the Leafs owned the 95th pick, the fifth pick of the fourth round. When the time came again for them to get up and make their pick, the Leafs announced that they had selected defenseman Jesper Lindgren of MODO Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League. This selection was the third defenseman the Leafs had taken in the draft, after taking Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen earlier in the draft. This player was a little bit more well known to Leafs fans than their previous pick, Martins Dzierkals, but Lindgren's name might still be a little bit unknown to some fans, so who is Jesper Lindgren, and what does he bring to the table?


A native of Umea, Sweden, the 6'0, 161lb defenseman grew up playing U16 for Bjorkloven in the U16 SM league, before beginning to play for the Bjorkloven U18 team. In 2013-14, he began playing for MODO J18 in the J18 Elit, recording 23 points in 20 games, then playing for J18 Allsvenskan, he recorded 9 points in 15 games. In his most recent season, he recorded 33 points in 39 games while playing for MODO J20 of the SuperElit league, before appearing in 4 games for MODO, recording 1 point. He also featured in the U18 Championships representing Team Sweden, recording 2 points in 5 games. So, as Leafs fans, what can we expect Lindgren to bring to the table?

According to his stats, he's a mobile, puck moving defenseman that has great hockey sense and sees the ice very well. He's known to make great passes, and seems to somewhat slow the game down when he has the puck. He's very useful on the powerplay and knows how to create plays to benefit his team. He has a strong compete level and uses creativity on the blueline, but could work on polishing his defensive side of the game and play a little bit more physically.

NHL ETA: 2018-19

My guess is that Lindgren spends at least one more year with MODO, and then either stays for an extra year and spends one year with the Marlies before being given a crack at NHL time, or he stays for only one more year with MODO and plays two years with the Marlies. The Leafs certainly aren't rushing any players into the lineup, but if the prospects are ready, they'll be given their shot.

Player Comparable: Erik Karlsson

Anytime you can be compared to a top-end defenseman like Karlsson, it's always a good thing. Now, Lindgren might not quite reach the potential that Karlsson has acheived, but they certainly play a similar style game with their powerplay and puck moving abilities.

Potential NHL Ceiling: No.3 or No.4 Offensive Defenseman

As said previously, Lindgren might not reach the potential of a No.1 or No.2 defenseman, but he definitely has the capability to be a reliable no.3 or no.4. He will be very useful to any team that picks him up, and has more boom than bust on his resume.

What do you think, Leafs fans? Do you agree with the selection of Jesper Lindgren? Weigh in below.