Since 2008, the Ottawa Senators, led by GM Bryan Murray, Assistant GM Tim Murray, and Director of Player Personnel Pierre Dorion have not gone a single NHL Entry Draft without selecting a player from the great nation of Sweden. It's clear that ex-Senators scout Anders Forsberg (who now coaches Skelleftea AIK in the Swedish Elite League but still provides some scouting reports for the Senators draft staff) has made his presence known at the Senators' draft table. Forsberg once worked under Red Wings scout Hakan Andersson, so it should not come as a surprise that Forsberg has a great eye for Swedish talent.

In this piece, I will take a look at six promising Swedish prospects that have either been drafted or acquired by the Senators, and since this is Dobber Hockey, I will let you know why these players should be on your radar for your fantasy league drafts. I will exclude Erik Karlsson from this list, as he has already proven himself at the NHL level.

Robin Lehner - Goaltender

Drafted: 2009 - 2nd round, #46 overall

Robin Lehner has quickly become one of the best, if not THE best, goalie prospects to own in a fantasy league. In 2 seasons, Lehner, who was born in Gothenburg and started his professional hockey career with the Frolunda Indians, carried a sad sack Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds team to the playoffs in the OHL, played a couple of games in the NHL with the Senators, started for Sweden in the 2011 World Juniors in Buffalo, and helped the Binghamton Senators win their first ever Calder Cup in the AHL. Lehner, who turns 20 this month, has clearly accomplished a lot in a short period of time, at a very young age.

Lehner, at 6'4", 224 lbs, is a behemoth in net. He plays a style very similar to Henrik Lundqvist, who was ironically coached by Lehner's father in Sweden. Lehner is prone to giving up a stinker every now and then, and he definitely needs to work on his rebound control. He is a very emotional guy, but when he is calm and focused, there's not much getting past the big man. When he gets on his knees, it's still pretty hard to see any net behind him because of his massive size.

As I said in the opening paragraph, Lehner could be considered the best goalie prospect to own right now. Jakob Markstrom gets more fanfare, but he has not accomplished as much in North America as Lehner has. That being said, Lehner will probably be taken after Markstrom and other prospects such as Braden Holtby because their paths to a starting role in the NHL may be quicker. Lehner will have plenty of time to develop since the Senators recently signed Craig Anderson to a four-year contract. Lehner will be the full-time starter for Binghamton this year and will make the jump to the NHL in 2012-2013 to backup Craig Anderson.

Andre Petersson - Right Winger

Drafted: 2008 - 4th round, #109 overall

Andre Petersson, a 5'9", 180-pound winger from Olofstrom who played the last two seasons for HV71 in the SEL, is a bit of a "boom or bust" prospect. He is a slick offensive player, but unlike other Swedes, he isn't really a two-way player. He is all offense, all the time. He is known to be a bit of a puck hog, but it's hard to blame him for that as he is a very good goal scorer. He has scored 18 goals in 68 games in his past two seasons at HV71, which isn't an easy feat for players his age. Petersson is also a pretty admirable passer, and he isn't afraid to go up against players who are bigger and taller than him.

Petersson really proved his worth at two events: one being the 2009 World Juniors where he was often dominant in scoring 3 goals and adding 3 assists in 6 games, and the other being the 2010 European Trophy, where he scored 5 goals and added 5 assists in 8 games.

Petersson's offensive potential makes him a nice sleeper pick in a fantasy prospect draft. Even though the concerns with him lie in the fact that he isn't a great two-way player, the even bigger concern is his health. Petersson has had a chronic back injury over the past few seasons, which has limited his games played with HV71. This past spring, Petersson was brought into Ottawa to have his back checked out. The Senators medical staff determined the cause of the injury and had Petersson undergo surgery. They believe his injury will never be completely healed, but they don't believe it will affect him on the ice anymore. Ottawa wasn't too concerned with this injury as they quickly signed him to a three-year entry level contract right after his surgery.

Petersson should make the jump to North America this season playing with the Binghamton Senators in the NHL. If he has a healthy, productive season in Binghamton, his stock will rise and he will have a great chance to make the NHL in 2012-2013. So, as I said earlier, he makes for a nice sleeper pick in fantasy leagues, and you will definitely be able to get him very low in a prospect draft. If you need to decide between some average prospects once your pick is up, take a chance with Petersson.

David Rundblad - Defense

Drafted: 2009 - 1st round, 17th overall by the St. Louis Blues

Acquired: 2010 - traded by the Blues for Ottawa's #16 overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Skelleftea Defenseman David Rundblad might have had his stock raised higher than any other NHL prospect since the beginning of last season. Rundblad's numbers skyrocketed in 2010-2011, going from 1 goal and 12 assists in 2009-2010, to 11 goals and 39 assists in 55 games this past season. This huge increase was due in large part to Rundblad being given both top even-strength and PP minutes by head coach Anders Forsberg, who wanted to develop him properly for the Senators. Still, Rundblad clearly took advantage of the opportunity given to him, and he was one of the main reasons why Skelleftea made the SEL final this past season. At the end of the season, Rundblad was awarded the Borje Salming Trophy, which is given to the best defenseman in the SEL as chosen by the great Borje Salming himself.

Rundblad, at about 6'2", 190 lbs, is a tall, mobile d-man who has the ability to take over a game when he wants to. He always appears confident and composed on the ice but he is sometimes criticized for playing lackadaisical at times. However, this criticism is shot down when a game is on the line, as that's when Rundblad usually takes over. If you watch any highlights of Rundblad (and I recommend that you watch the 2 installments of "David Rundblad - Magic Number Seven" on YouTube), you will see that he can carry the puck with ease, shoot the puck to the back of the net with a wrister or slapper from the point or from the slot, and even lay some big hits from time to time, even though that is not a big part of his game.

Rundblad should definitely be on your fantasy radar, if he wasn't already (which I would find hard to believe). He is arguably the best prospect defenseman to own right now outside of Stefan Elliott and perhaps Brendan Smith. I believe his upside is lower than Erik Karlsson, but they are both very similar players. Rundblad is the taller player and is a bit better defensively. He compares himself to Mike Green, so you know he will still look to be a rover at the NHL level. Pierre Dorion has said that Rundblad is more cerebral than Karlsson, so I have his upside in the 60's while Karlsson's would be in the 70's. The sky appears to be the limit for Rundblad and it will be interesting to see what he can do once he steps foot on North American ice.

Jakob Silfverberg - Right Winger

Drafted: 2009 - 2nd round, #39 overall

Jakob Silfverberg is a very intriguing prospect. The 20-year old 6’2”, 190 lbs winger from Gavle plays a sound two-way game, is a very solid playmaker, and has one of the best shots in the SEL. Silfverberg seems to deceive goalies with his shot, as a lot of the time he doesn’t even fully wind-up to shoot, yet the puck comes off his stick like a laser beam. His slapper from the wing is very much like Daniel Alfredsson’s, and if he can use it at the NHL level then he will be a very valuable player in both real life and in fantasy leagues. Silverberg is often compared to fellow Swede winger Loui Eriksson, who also plays a well-rounded two-way game.

The only question is where Silfverberg will play when he reaches the NHL. Pierre Dorion had this to say about Silfverberg when speaking to OttawaSenators.com: "The one thing that's got to pick up is his quickness off the mark," he said. "If he can work on that ... that'll determine where he plays in the NHL. If that quickness off the mark can be just a tad better, he's a top-two line player. If not, he's a third-line player."

It’s clear that Silfverberg’s stock is consistently climbing. After having a strong season for Brynas IF Gavle in which he scored 18 goals and added 16 assists, Silfverberg made his debut for Sweden at the recent World Championships in Slovakia. The Senators believe he is NHL-ready, but Silfverberg feels he has to develop some more in Sweden, so he will return to Brynas for one more year. He should make the Senators in 2012-2013. Silfverberg makes for a very good value pick in fantasy prospect drafts, as he is being drafted low for the type of player he is. If he was in the CHL, his fantasy stock would definitely be higher than it is right now.

Marcus Sorensen - Right Winger

Drafted: 2010 - 4th round, #106 overall

Marcus Sorensen is a small, skilled winger from Sodertalje, and is the ultimate definition of “sleeper”. This is a guy who most of you reading this have probably never heard of. I certainly never heard of him until he was drafted by Ottawa last year. Sorensen is a potential “final gem” recommended by Anders Forsberg. Legend has it that Ottawa’s head scouts were not allowed to watch Sorensen play in Sweden so as to not give away to other teams that they were interested in him.

What Sorensen lacks in size (5’11”, 161 lbs), he makes up for in skill. Some have compared him to fellow Swede Henrik Zetterberg and Czech winger Martin Havlat. In 2009-2010, Sorensen destroyed the U-18 junior league in Sweden, putting up 15 goals and 27 assists in 15 games for Sodertalje. He was then promoted to the U-20 league, where he put up a very respectable 7 goals and 10 assists in 27 games for Sodertalje. This past season, Sorensen was transferred to the Djurgarden organization, and his play only got better. He scored 14 goals and added 22 assists in 31 games for Djurgarden’s U-20 junior team in the SuperElit. Because of his strong play, Sorensen was promoted to Djurgarden’s parent club in the SEL for 7 games. He scored a goal and added an assists in his cup of coffee with the big club.

Sorensen obviously has a lot of work to do if he is to ever make the NHL. He needs to get stronger, as he has been easy to contain in Ottawa’s development camps the past two years. That being said, he is an intriguing prospect because of his creativity, soft hands, and scoring touch.

He probably won’t be picked in any fantasy drafts right now, so if you are looking for a potential gem, Sorensen may be your guy. Once you get to the latest round in your draft, you probably don’t know many of the players available, so you might as well take a chance on young Marcus. If he is anything like Anders Forsberg’s past recommend players (Karlsson, Silfverberg, Lehner, Rundblad), then he may have a future in the NHL.

Mika Zibanejad - Centre/Winger

Drafted: 2011 - 1st round, #6 overall

The Senators used their first 1st round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on Mika Zibanejad, a rugged winger/centre from Huddinge who was one of the biggest draft risers this season. Zibanejad, an Iranian-Finnish Swede who speaks English, Finnish, Swedish, Farsi, and a bit of French, quickly became one of the more intriguing prospects for the 2011 draft once he was promoted to the SEL by Djurgarden. Zibanejad started off on Djurgarden’s fourth line but due to his impressive play, he found himself on the second line once the season was over. Zibanejad put up a respectable 5 goals and 4 assists in 29 games for Djurgarden after scoring 12 goals and adding 9 assists in 27 games for Djurgarden’s under-20 junior team in the SuperElit.

Zibanejad is the complete package. The 6’2”, 192-pound centre/winger plays well offensively and defensively, hits like a bull, and never stops working on the ice. He is a very versatile player who can play the point on the power-play, can take face-offs, can park himself in front of the net, and can be a creative passer or shooter from either the centre or the wing. What stood out to most scouts was that Zibanejad as one of Djurgarden’s best players in the SEL playoffs, which is not normal for an 18 year old player with 26 games of SEL experience. This guy clearly is a special prospect if he can stand out night-in, night-out against men in Sweden.

I have been following Zibanejad for quite some time and, unlike a lot of other people, I was not surprised that he went as high as he did in the draft. He was always a factor on the ice when I watched him, whether it be in some SEL games streamed online or in the U-18’s that were held this past spring. He has lots of untapped potential at both ends of the ice. His shot is very good and accurate, and he is a very adept playmaker. Think about what he will do when he reaches his physical potential. He is already hitting guys at 18 years old, so think about when he gets up to 6’3”-6’4”, 220 lbs (which Ottawa says he can reach) and how much of a physical beast he could become then. It’s hard to pinpoint a comparison for Zibanejad, and I will probably look foolish for saying this, but he does remind me of Peter Forsberg and Evgeni Malkin in the way he plays. I’m not saying he will become as good as those players, I’m just saying Zibanejad’s style of play reminds me of a blend of those two players, but with a bit more of an edge and tenacity to his game. Probably a more realistic comparison I have seen is Kyle Okposo, but I have also seen comparison to former Djurgarden and Toronto product Mats Sundin.

In terms of fantasy drafts, Zibanejad is not getting a ton of love simply because not many people have been exposed to him as much as other players in the CHL. I have seen some drafts where he is being drafted behind Sven Bartschi, which to me is just baffling. Also, Sean Couturier is being drafted over him simply because of his point totals in the QMJHL and because of the hype he has received for two years now. Usually, risers like Zibanejad have far more success than fallers like Couturier. Anyway, my point is that you can get Zibanejad at about #7-12 in 2011 draft prospect-only fantasy drafts, which is very good value for a player picked at #6 who will be a legit NHLer for sure.

Zibanejad has a very good chance to play this season in Ottawa. If he is signed by July 15, he will be able to go to Ottawa’s training camp and compete for a spot on the NHL roster. If not, Zibanejad will play a full season with Djurgarden next year. My prediction is that he makes the Senators this season, though. His style of play and maturity level makes him ready for the NHL. He could very well be the second most NHL-ready forward from the 2011 draft.

Shut up! We need to keep quiet about these gems!

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GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

too bad they all play for the sens, we can just label them as busts now

just kidding, great write up ev. i cant wait to see rundblad play

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XBOX 360 Gamertag: praba911

I already own Spezza, Butler and Filatov, but I'm targeting Zibanejad, Silfverberg and Puempel anyway in my league's upcoming draft. Crazy high on all of them.

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GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

Thanks for the feedback. Ottawa has become Stockholm East, and fantasy owners can take advantge of this!

Very well done write-ups! I hope to see Ottawa competitive in the near future. I have always enjoyed the creativity and hunger they bring to the game.

Quick note though (and I am being hypocritical since I hate grammar-Nazis), however, it is not ironic that Lehner has a similar style to Lundqvist because of his father, it is fitting. Sorry to be that guy.

Anyway I look forward to these players developing and hope to read a follow-up on these prospects by you next year

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" You said you don't give a f*ck about hockey. I've never heard anyone say that before."

Thanks for the write-up.

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Nice writeup Big Ev,

I justs aquired Rundblad from Angus yesterday, pretty happy with the acquisition.

Question for you. When do you think these prospects will make the NHL and if you could give a dobber 3 yr probable?

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UFHP - Y! 12 GMs - 23/8 pro/farm - keep 17 + all farm
G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, Hits, FW; GS, W, L, GA, GAA, SA, SV, SV%, SHO

C: Backstrom, Carter (RW), Duchene (LW)
LW: Hall, Ladd, Heatley, Fleishmann, Stalberg,
RW: Yakupov, Clarkson, Tarasenko, Briere (C), Hemsky
D: Keith, Seabrook, Voynov, Schultz, Hamilton, Siedenberg
G: Hiller, Price, Greiss, Bernier

Farm:
C: Granlund
RW: Forsberg, Toffoli
LW: Schwartz
D: Rundblad, Orlov
G: Lack, Visentin

Not really sure what 3YP is?

Anyway, here is my ETA for when these guys would make the Sens:

Rundblad - this season

Zibanejad - this season is my prediction, but could go either way. If not, he'll only need one more year in Sweden

Lehner, Silfverberg - 2012/2013

Petersson - 2013-2014, could be earlier depending on how he does in Bingo next year

Sorensen - I'd say probably 2014-2015 or 2015-2016, something like that, if he ever does make it. 3-4 years away because of his size, and because he isn't an elite prospect. He's a sleeper but it will take time.