The Dallas Stars have selected Ludvig (Ludwig) Bystrom in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman from MODO, Sweden.
Rankings:
Craig Button: 19th
ISS: 28th
Hockey Prospectus: 20th
NHLNumbers: 26th
The Scouting Report: 19th
The Stars got a steal last night in Radek Faksa at #13 and they’ve gotten something of another here with Bystrom, a puck mover on the blue line with some good size who’s still growing. Multiple outlets (most outlets) had him ranked somewhere in the latter part of the first round but he fell here to number 43.
Scout describe him as poised, and at his best when he as the puck. He’s a slick skater who makes a great first pass and operates under pressure. Some reports call him smaller, though it’s hard to believe if he’s already 6-0 and getting bigger. He’s just 18 years old and will fill out in the coming seasons as all these prospects do.
Expect him to remains overseas for the time being to further develop his game and grow into his frame. We’ll likely see him in the World Junior Championships playing for Sweden this holiday season, and the next. It’s a good pick up for the Stars and another guy with potentially high-end skill. Scouts project him to a good second pairing guy in the NHL with some power play time.
Quotes from scouting services after the jump…
From ISS Scouting:
Another in the seemingly endless line of high caliber Swedish rearguards. Bystrom has talent in all three zones of the ice. He is a strong mobile skater who reads the play quickly and reacts effectively. He distributes the puck well, including a great first pass, but can also carry the puck into space on his own as well. Defensively, he plays an intelligent and calculated physical brand of hockey and can dominate the middle lanes, making him very difficult to win quality space against. His most impressive skill is his ability to execute plays under duress. He already has professional experience and is capable of playing big time minutes against high quality opponents. He still has a lot of room to add power. Needs to continue working on his defensive-zone coverage. NHL Potential: 2-4 defensive pairing with PP time.
Hockey Prospectus:
Bystrom is a pretty advanced puck-moving defenseman who earned very limited minutes in the SEL this year but really showed his potential to log significant two-way time during international events. His hockey sense is pretty high-end and is evident when you watch him play as he makes so many simple, smart plays consistently all over the ice while displaying a flashy element to his game as well. Bystrom is an effective defender who uses his stick well, is always in the right position, and works hard in the physical element of the game. He isn’t that effective in the latter, as he’s a little short for a defenseman and really lacks strength, and he looks like he will be around replacement level in the physical game in the NHL. Bystrom is at his best when he has the puck, as he is so poised and instinctive. He has a very low panic threshold and really knows how to evade checkers, find his outlets through tight steams, and if he has a short window to make a play, he normally is able to execute. He does have good puck skills as well and some creativity from the point, but those elements of his game aren’t truly dangerous. As mentioned previously, his offensive value is derived from his sense. Bystrom is a fine skater who moves around well for a defenseman and he can join the rush with moderate effectiveness with good bursts of acceleration.
NHL Blackbook:
Ludvig shows two-way potential but is more geared towards the defensive game. He has good positioning
and can usually identify plays fairly quickly. When a defensive partner goes out of position or
he notices a hole in the coverage he does a good job of covering it up quickly. Bystrom battles hard
down low and is able to win the puck more times than not. Offensively Ludvig quietly shows good
puck rushing ability and can take it deep into the offensive zone. However this can sometimes be
where he gets caught as he overcommits to offensive play on the occasions when he does rush it in and
forget about getting back into position. Bystrom has shown much inconsistency in our viewings. He’ll
put together a series of great shifts, but then will make mistakes unbecoming of the prospect we saw
mere minutes ago. Ludvig is very likely to be one of the first Swedish defensemen drafted in the 2012
NHL Entry Draft, and will likely take a few years to develop into his potential.