According to NHL Central Scouting, Anton Frondell is the best skater to come out of Europe. Most hockey scouts and publications would agree. However, if there is a challenger to the title of "best international skater" in this year's draft, you won't have to look far. It would be Frondell's linemate, left winger Victor Eklund.
Eklund scored 19 goals with 12 assists in 42 games in his first full season with Djurgardens IF. When comparing that to Frondell (11 G, 14 A, 29 games), that's not too bad. The two played well with each other.
Even though he is 5'11", Eklund is a bit smaller at just 160 lbs. He's going to have to add some muscle to protect himself. Still, he is an elite skater with a lot of speed. He is also a scoring freak. His goal scoring came on blistering 17.1% of shots. Likewise, he is just the fifth player in Swedish League history to score at a .60 point per game clip across 20 games. The others: Frondell, Elias Pettersson, Alex Wennberg, and David Pastrňák. That's pretty good company to be in.
The Hockey Writers, in their draft profile of him, gave a glowing review.
"While Eklund’s shooting potential is exciting, that’s not where his strengths end. In particular, he has some of the best vision in the class. Not only does he see opportunities for scoring chances that most other players don’t, but he has the talent to make what he pictures a reality. In situations where one player might opt for a shot on a 2-on-2 rush, Eklund might instead delay to create a 4-on-3. During tame offensive zone possessions, he may draw a couple of puck-watching defenders to him and thread a perfect pass to a teammate. Hockey’s all about creating space, and that’s a strong suit of his."
Additionally, Eklund’s competitiveness is admirable. He doesn't give up on the play and is in the middle of each and every battle. Even if he doesn't score, he can set up his teammates well for a strong scoring chance.
Again, he may be a smaller player, but he’ll surprise you with his determination. He wins quite a few puck battles, making him an excellent support player for his linemates. He’s not afraid to challenge players bigger than him if it means gaining possession. On and off the puck, Eklund is a nightmare for the opposition.
Don't see Eklund as a consolation prize. He can play both wings, but excels as a left winger. While the Flyers could use a center more than anything, a guy who can score like a Pastrnak from the left side would be highly desirable.
Eklund teamed up with Matvei Michkov could end up becoming a thing of nightmares for the rest of the Metropolitan Division. If anything, it's fun to think about. And if he or Frondell are selected, they'd be the first Swede selected by the Flyers in the first round since Peter Forsberg.