Next up in our selection of prospects believed to be available with the Oilers second first-round pick is Jonas Brodin, a well-polished defenseman from Sweden (as if they produce anything else).
The rankings:
THN: 22
RLE: 25
CSS: 3 (Euro)
ISS: 20
Craig Button: 10
Bob: 12 (mid-season)
We see a very wide spread of positions for Brodin, but none that see him fall from the first round. He projects to being NHL-sized by the time he fills out in a couple of years, currently listed at 6'1 165. He's not going to bowl anyone over with sheer physical will but that's not his game. What he lacks in size he more than makes up for in other aspects of his game, according to frequent Oilogosphers poster SpOILer, who recently posted his top-30 over at Lowetide. SpOILer had made the brave mind to place Brodin 5th on his list, saying:
Brings the most elite hockey sense out of any of the top 6. I think it is dangerous to under-rate this ability. Off-the-charts anticipation. Is a plus plus skater. Very good passer. Has only average size and strength. It's tough to tell how much offense he will generate, but he had 4 assists without much PP time and that's a good number for the SEL. With his brains and passing ability he should be at least a solid point producer. His sense and skating make him about as much a can't-miss pick outside of the top 3 as can be had. The ability to make high quality reads playing against men at his age sets him apart. Most defensemen take years to learn what he already sees instinctively
SpOILer's not the only one raving about Brodin's vision and playmaking ability. Kirk Luedeke is fast becoming the most important voice in prospect talk that isn't working for MSM. Back in November, Kirk did a piece on Brodin and has this to say:
One more in a long line of highly skilled and mobile puck-moving rearguards from Sweden, the tall (6-1) but very lanky Brodin is an outstanding skater whose strength is his east-west lateral movement and ability to crossover in the face of forwards who attack with speed. He's got excellent vision and defensive instincts, able to diagram unfolding plays and put himself in position to interdict and neutralize the opposition attack. Brodin also has the ability to start the transition game to offense with his soft hands and crisp outlet passing. Although only about 165-170 pounds, Brodin has also shown a surprising ability to play a physical game.
Brodin appears to have speed and playmaking ability in spades, which is something the Oilers pipeline lacks as of now. Marincin and Petry both possess offensive ability from the blueline, but not of the calibre Brodin is expected to bring. Reports also suggest he's not shrinking violet either, and despite his apparent lack of bulk has been toiling against men for the past two seasons in Sweden's top two divisions.
Consistency also appears to be a hallmark of Brodin's game, which is something I hold in high regard when we're talking about 17- and 18-year olds. He's seen as the safe pick in the 20's by a couple of sources; not quite as pretty a package as teammate Oscar Klefbom but he'll get the job done. Likely won't be ready for a couple of years, but he's in a good situation in Sweden to develop his game against men.
I can see the Oilers taking Best Defenseman Available if they don't take Larsson #1, as has been their bent lately when they have multiple picks in the first round. Brodin certainly qualifies as worthy. The Oilers will certainly have him heavily scouted as they've been going to Sweden for their European selections with much more regularity since SMB took over.
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