This draft report is on Frölunda Right Wing Sebastian Collberg. Sebastian Collberg has played for two Swedish ice hockey teams, Mariestad BoI and Frölunda over his junior career. When he was 15 he was playing in the U20 Swedish leagues, a very impressive feat. He is a talented but smallish forward who is comparable to Jeff Skinner.
Rankings:
Final CSS European Rank: 3rd
Future Considerations: 12th
ISS: 13th
Hockey Prospect: 25th
The Hockey Guys: 13th
Craig's List: 28th
What do they say about them?
Scouting Report (Mid Term Rankings)
‘Stats don't tell the full story as Collberg has had trouble finding playing time this season, which started with a lengthy stint in the Elitserien. Collberg is one of the most intriguing offensive talents in the draft and his shot is arguably the most lethal in the draft. Collberg plays with a lot of flair in his game, and when he's getting offensive opportunities his shot is a tremendous asset to his game. Being a little undersized, Collberg needs to continue to add strength to his game and prove that he can battle through tight defenses and avoid being neutralized by physical teams.'
‘Collberg is very skilled forward with great wheels. Doesn't shy away from the high-traffic areas and knows where to go to score goals. Initiates contact with defensemen and has excellent one-on-one moves. Posesses an elite wristshot, which he can release in a hurry with great accuracy and velocity.
Needs to add more bulk to withstand the physical game at the men's level. Lacks ideal frame.'
‘The first thing you notice about Collberg's game is an incredible wrist shot and release. Collberg possesses a very heavy wrist shot and has a very quick release. Collberg is also a great stick handler, and not afraid to go to the dirty areas to score goals. He's great on breakaways, and has shown that he can beat the goalie in the shootout. In short Collberg is a natural sniper. Collberg is also an above average skater and has very good vision and passing ability, which gives him the added dimension of becoming a good playmaker too'
‘Strengths: Has elite offensive skills, including great speed, soft hands and a nose for the puck. Uncanny puck sense and instincts, a top-notch playmaker. Great one-on-one skills. Weaknesses: Not overly large, will need to add bulk and strength to withstand an NHL pounding. Defensive zone coverage will need some work, and will need more consistency. NHL upside: Has been compared to Jeff Skinner in regards to his ability to always be around the puck despite his size issues. He has the skills to compete for a top-six role in the NHL.'
Conclusion
Sebastian Collberg is clearly a talented forward with an incredible wrist shot. He is however not a big player. Unless he is able to bulk up and become bigger and stronger he could very easily be pushed around at the mens level. It is noticeable that despite his elite scoring shot he was unable to get a single point through 41 games in the men's league in Sweden. Then again the fact that they trusted him enough to give him 41 games in the big leagues speaks volumes about their trust that he could be a good player. He also spent most of the time in Frolunda playing fourth line minutes which might have affected the scoring totals. Despite the stats being a good indicator of how good a player is they can be misleading.
Sebastian Collberg could be a potential candidate to be picked by the Dallas Stars. His small size and also the Stars jam of talent on the right wing might put the Stars off drafting him. However the Stars could be following a best player available strategy and with the talent Sebastian Collberg has the Stars could be mighty tempted to draft this skilled Swedish forward.