Draft Thoughts:
Jan.23rd: In Sweden's U20 circuit, Orebro is tied with Frolunda for first in the Sodra (Southern) Division, both teams are tied for second-overall behind Brynas, and both teams are tied for the most goals-for in the league. Orebro is chock-full of talent, with 3 players in the top-10 of the scoring race, and 5 in the top-15, including first-time draft-eligibles C Alexander Command, RW Ludvig Andersson, and LW Niklas Aaram-Olsen (all tied for 7th in scoring), as well as D Axel Elofsson (tied for 12th). Aaram-Olsen has been climbing the draft charts all year, and is now #18 for European Skaters on Central Scouting's Mid-Term Rankings, with a chance of being picked in the late first-round this summer. The young Norwegian is currently in a 4-way tie for second in goals, with 17, and has earned 11 games in the SHL, with no points. In the 2024-25 season, he managed to post 23 goals and 41 points in 42 games as a 16 year-old, which leads me to believe that he could be slightly underperforming this year.
LW Niklas Aaram-Olsen (6'1",183lbs) is a power-forward whose ceiling and overall projection are in question, but he's a fairly well-rounded player overall. First of all, he's a strong skater with a smooth, projectable stride, and a touch of explosiveness in short-bursts, whose straight-line speed is amplified by his intensity and high-motor. As he gets stronger, he should add an extra gear to his top-end, but he can already push pace. His handling is well-developed, and when combined with his mobility, it makes him capable of rushing the puck through neutral zone coverage to achieve controlled exits and entries. NAO's most prominent asset is his deep array of NHL-caliber shots, including a laser of a snapper with a stunning release, a one-timer that explodes off of his blade, and a curl-and-drag wrister that he can fire through a screen. He is inside-driven, unafraid to drop a shoulder to take the puck to the net, willing to crash the crease, and intuitive in finding open pockets of space around the net to sneak into- he owns soft hands to beat goalies in-tight, cash-in on second-chance opportunities, and convert tips. Where it gets muddy is that his playmaking vision and ability to drive play have come into question at times over the course of the year, but he is showing more flashes of clever play-creation lately with give-and-go passing in the offensive zone; his high-volume shooting, and inside-drive facilitate chances for teammates as well. NAO is a hard-working, industrious winger, who does well in board-battles, competes hard in the trenches, and will throw his weight around, while applying a mostly straight-line approach. He is physical and disruptive on the forecheck, and does more of the same on the backcheck, with a sound 200-ft game. There are some who have questioned (at least in the first few months of the season) if he's going to make a solid bottom-six player in the show, or if he'll be able to handle second-line responsibilities in the future. Look for him in the second-round, with a chance of being picked in the late-first.
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