Draft Watch: Ludvig Bystrom, Zemgus Girgensons, Scott Laughton
It’s official, the New York Rangers will draft at #28 on June 22. Sure, all the top talent will be gone, but there are always gems to find in the late rounds. After all Chris Kreider was drafted in the early 20s, and the Rangers organization has proven time and time again that they are great at finding players who are talented and intelligent. Don’t forget that all our draft analysis can be found on our Draft Coverage page.
Ludvig Bystrom
Position: D Height: 5’11″ Weight: 187
Bystrom is another product of the great Swedish hockey system. Like most Swedes, Bystrom is a tremendous skater. Considering the large ice surface in the Euro leagues, the top Euro prospects usually are great skaters. It just comes with the territory. Offensively, Bystrom is a solid puck carrier and creates plays in the offensive zone. His hockey IQ is above average, which helps with his decision making when it comes to carrying the puck or running the offense. Defensively, he isn’t a bruiser, and will generally use that skating ability and hockey IQ to be in solid position. He’s not going to be the guy that plays a physical game, but he’s not going to shy away from contact either.
Like most youngsters, Bystrom can be caught out of position a couple of times. With the bruisers it is generally because they are going for the big hit, but the biggest concern with Bystrom –as he is not a bruiser– is that he sometimes gets caught chasing the puck too much. He is still a very raw talent, and a team picking Bystrom would be in it for the long haul. He will need several years to fine tune his game.
