It is a little ironic that one of this draft’s most visible European players — a forward who has been in the international spotlight since he was 16 — remains one of the hardest to project.
Will he be a top-six forward who drives offence at the National Hockey League level? Or will he merely be a solid player in the middle of the lineup, a guy who can skate and check and contribute a few goals? Could he go in the top-third of the draft’s first round, or is he destined for the bottom-third in Dallas?
This is the Isac Lundestrom conundrum.
The Swedish centre just finished his second season in his country’s top league, managing six goals and 15 points in 42 games for Lulea. These modest numbers shouldn’t diminish Lundestrom’s achievement of playing as a teenager in one of the best pro leagues outside of the NHL. He became the youngest scorer in Lulea’s history when he claimed his first Swedish Hockey League goal a few days before his 17th birthday.
Lundestrom has been prominent in Sweden’s national-team program, centring the country’s top line at the world junior tournament in Buffalo this past winter. He had two goals in Sweden’s silver-medal run.
At six-feet tall and 185 pounds, Lundestrom is surprisingly strong on his skates and willing to battle for the puck and play in tough areas, which should translate to the NHL. But what really sets him apart from many prospects is his skating, which his coach compared to Henrik Zetterberg’s.
“The way he skates, with the ability to switch tempo to beat his defender, he reminds me of a young Henrik Zetterberg,” Thomas Berglund told NHL.com. “He’s not as physical as Zetterberg was, but he’ll be able to develop that side in his further development because he doesn’t shy away from physical play.”
NHL Central Scouting ranks Lundestrom as the eighth European skater available in Dallas, down somewhat mysteriously from No. 3 at mid-season, while most scouting services have him pegged 10th to 20th overall.
Many scouting websites call Lundestrom a “safe” pick. But really, the consensus on him is that there is little consensus. It’s a matter of, how good do you think he will be?
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Team: Lulea
Position: C
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
From: Gällivare, Sweden
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 185 pounds
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Lulea general manager Stefan Nilsson: “Isac is a fantastic talent. You could see that, even as a junior player, he possessed a raw talent for skating. To go with that, he has great (skills) on the ice and a real desire to become a great hockey player. It’s been great to watch him develop and I’m really excited to see what type of player Isac eventually turns into.”
Sportsnet analyst Sam Cosentino: “A solid pick for his ability to play a two-way game with good energy. Does the skill set project him to be in your top six? If not, are you OK with the back-up plan of a responsible third line centre?”
Central Scouting European director Goran Stubb: “He’s got an excellent combination of speed and skills with excellent offensive instincts. He has smooth hands, is very good with the puck and knows when to move the puck quickly or when to be patient with it.”
THE ARCTIC EXPRESS
Lundestrom is from Malmberget, where his father worked in the iron mine that is literally in the middle of the small town, 100 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. The Lapland town is about 900 kilometres north of Stockholm and a three-hour drive from Lulea, which signed Lundestrom to its junior program when he was 14.
His father Peter, a former hockey player who got his two boys involved in the game, moved to Lulea with his son so Isac could develop his skills. An older brother, Erik, has played in Sweden’s lower-tier pro leagues.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Lundestrom told NHL.com: “I like to get the puck into the offensive zone and work down there, be strong on the puck and be strong on my skates. I’m more a playmaker. I like watching the skating and creativity of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby when they have the puck. They’re always searching for a good play and they make their teammates better. That’s how I want to play.”
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