Gustav Olofsson was the Minnesota Wild’s first selection in the 2013 draft. He is considered one of their best defense prospects, but injuries have stalled his development.
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For the first time in team history, the
were without a first round draft pick in 2013. General manager Chuck Fletcher had traded it away along with another draft pick and a couple prospects to the
to acquire
.
So, the Wild waited until pick 46 to make their first selection of the draft. They used it to take tall, lanky, rising defenseman Gustav Olofsson.
The Boras, Sweden native moved up from the No. 57 spot among North American skaters in the mid-term rankings to 51st spot on the final list. The Central Scouting Service listed him at 6 feet, 2.75 inches tall and 185 pounds, but everyone expected him to get a lot bigger. He has grown a little, but still has a thin, wiry frame.
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Whether or not his size has anything to do with it, he did suffered season-ending injuries. The first one cost him all but one game in 2014-15, his first as a professional. Last season, he made it to March before succumbing to a second shoulder surgery.
Even though he has done very little at professional level, national prospect writers believe he is a first or second-pairing defenseman in the future. Hockey’s Future is high on Olofsson give him a No. 2 or second-pairing grade with a fairly good likelihood of reaching it. They really like his mobility and big shot as a stay-at-home defender.
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Dobber Prospects writer Edric Joseph believes he has “top-four defensemen upside but needs to show more consistency” in Iowa before he will be able to make an impact in the NHL.
Much like defenseman Louis Belpedio, I’m not as high on Olofsson as most are. I am concerned about his size and overall game. He does not have the puck skills or skating ability to be a top-four puck mover nor does he possess the size and strength to be a shutdown top-four defenseman. He needs to greatly improve one of those areas or he will be nothing more than depth defender or third pairing guy.