2019 NHL Draft prospect profile: Defenseman Philip Broberg

Swedish defenseman Philip Broberg could have his name called early in the 2019 NHL Draft thanks to his unique skill set and upside.

The 2019 NHL Draft will be remembered for the forwards selected. However, don’t sleep on the defensemen. There’s a strong group of them, even if the forwards get most of the attention. Bowen Byram is the top defenseman available, but there’s a group of guys in the running for the second-best spot. Philip Broberg is perhaps the most fascinating member of that bunch.

Last year, Rasmus Dahlin stood out for a variety of reasons. But the biggest reason was due to his skating. Likewise, Broberg’s combination of mobility and size could make him the next great Swedish defenseman.

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Prospect Profile

Height: 6’3″
Weight: 201 pounds
Teams: AIK (Allsvenskan)
Country: Sweden
Position: Defenseman
Handedness: Left-handed
Date of birth: June 25, 2001

All profile info is courtesy of Elite Prospects.

Strengths

Broberg’s two biggest strengths are his size and speed. As they say, you can’t teach size and speed skills. Broberg not only has size, he has length – his wingspan is impressive. Not only that, he knows how to use it to win puck battles and keep pucks away from opponents.

He played in the second-best professional hockey league in Sweden and didn’t look out of place, with eight points in 41 games. AIK was not a good hockey team, yet Broberg was fairly dominant for them.

I like his gap control. It’s a very underrated part of his game. Of course, being as mobile as Broberg certainly helps. He stood out at the Hlinka tournament, with four points (including three goals) in five games.

Weaknesses

Broberg didn’t play with an impressive pace in his first professional season. But he does it whenever he plays against his own age group, so I know he has the ability to do it. Next year, Broberg will play in the SHL, so that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

His decision making is also an issue. Broberg tends to try to make high-end plays a bit too often. This is a maturity issue, so there’s hope it will get better as he develops. Broberg didn’t stand out as much as I had hoped, but he was battling some illnesses, which undeniably hurt his season. But he finished it strong.

What They’re Saying

But if you want a two-way defenseman with size who can close a gap, man a second power play and transition the offense at even strength at a high level, he’s your man. – Corey Pronman from The Athletic

[His] raw talent is exciting because it shows up in flashes in games when he joins the rush and carries the puck through the neutral zone. – Scott Wheeler from The Athletic

Highlights

Overall Outlook

Broberg’s got size and mobility. Those are two great skills to have. He didn’t show it in his draft season as much as I would have liked, but I think he has high-end skill. Broberg needs to learn how to use it properly, but a patient team could wind up having an impactful defenseman in him.