[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Mystery Edition):

In my search for information on various draft prospects, I keep coming across the name of LHD Viggo Gustafsson, but there's precious little out there to see or read on him. He plays primarily for HV71's J20 club, on the same defense group that boasts Edvin Nilsson, Gabriel Eliasson, Wilhelm Hallquisth, and Sharks' 5th-rounder Axel Landen. Though Gustafsson is considered to be a defense-first player, he has outperformed all of his D teammates offensively, other than Hallquisth, with 19 points in 41 games- 8 of those points coming in the last 8 games of the regular season. His offensive production ranks 7th in the league for U-18 players, and 25th overall, so at the very least, he has potential on the offensive side of the puck that he's not getting credit for. Still, Elite Prospects calls him the best defensive performer outside of the first round. Gustafsson is one of the youngest players in the draft with a September 11th birthday, and measures a sturdy 6'2",194lbs.

Gustafsson is mainly a shutdown D who plays PK, and 5-on-5. He has excellent awareness, and plays well against the rush. He makes excellent reads, and keeps a tight gap on attackers, angling them to the outside where he either pins them to the boards, or finishes them physically- his 44 penalty-minutes show that he's not the most friendly guy out there, and he has been called a physical presence. He uses his reach, and an active stick to disrupt the cycle, and he frequently kills plays as early as the neutral zone. In possession, he keeps things very simple with the puck, and doesn't activate into the play very often. Most of the time, he's just trying to move the puck out of danger, but he can run the point with basic passing, and will pinch down to keep the puck alive in the zone. His skating is said to be above-average, but nothing special, and devoid of top-end speed right now. He's certainly not a burner, but his mobility will improve as he gets stronger. In transition, he relies on short passes to move the puck, but on occasion, he can connect with teammates on more complex plays- such as stretch passes in breakouts. Gus is a workhorse who plays big minutes, often against the opposing teams' best players. I think there's there's some potential here, but Gus has to play a less tentative game. I'm guessing he'll be picked in the fourth round.