NHL Mock Draft 2018: No.19 — Isac Lundeström
This is the Philadelphia Flyers second pick in the first round—their own pick after finishing third in the Metropolitan Division and losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first-round of the playoffs.
Their first pick in the first-round (No.14 overall) was mocked to take left-winger Joel Farabee. As I mentioned in that post, the Flyers are positioned as well as any team in hockey right now. They have forwards in their prime locked up long-term with high-end prospects up-and-coming. On the blueline, Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov form a formidable duo with a trio of young D-prospects set to all be full-time NHLers as soon as 2019.
With their blueline set for nearly the next decade, a future star between the pipes in Carter Hart, the Flyers are likely to take another forward and continue to build up that prospect pool.
With the No.19 Overall Pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select…
Isac Lundeström — C — Sweden ????????
With Sean Couturier signed for four more seasons and Nolan Patrick entering the second year of his entry-level contract, the Flyers’ top-6 is set down the middle. Great NHL teams have depth at centre throughout their lineup and Lundeström projects to be the perfect fit for their third line. Lundeström compares favourable to a player like Mikko Koivu, who can post strong offensive numbers while playing an extremely responsible defensive game.
While playing for Lulea HF in Sweden’s top league, the 18-year-old scored six goals with nine assists (15 points) in 42 games. Lundeström also scored two goals in seven games while representing Sweden at the World Juniors.
Lundeström may not make the NHL for a few seasons, but the Flyers have enough prospect depth to wait for him. However, he’s already playing against men in Sweden, so he may not take as long to transition to the NHL. A trio of Couturier, Patrick and Lundeström down the middle, would complement a blueline and goaltender that looks like it will be really strong in the near future.
Scouting Report
“[Lundeström] is a well-rounded pivot who can drive play for his team. Lundeström’s IQ stands out to me frequently. At the pro level, he’s shown no signs of the pace being too quick for him, as he makes good plays at a fast speed. He works hard, is strong on pucks down low and gets back on defense but doesn’t look to engage physically at times. With the puck on his stick, he can make a skilled play and shows above-average vision with flashes of high-end. He’s a strong skater and I’ve seen him put defenders on their heels with his speed. His ability to be a play maker as well as a primary defensive center for whatever team he’s on speaks volumes to his abilities. He doesn’t have the skills to take over a shift, but he’s a nice do-it-all type of player.” — Corey Pronman (The Athletic)
Rankings
- #22 — HockeyProspect.com
- #21 — FutureConsiderations.ca
- #20 — ISSHockey.com