Elmer who?

[mooneyes]

Anyone else watching the World Juniors?

Elmer Soderblom just scored a sick goal for Sweden. Pretty soft hands for a big man. Some say 6'6" and also 6 8'...maybe he is still growing!
Could turn be a good 6th round pick for Detroit.

Heinola (Jets) also looks like a stud.

Anyone else standing out?

[creasecollector]

Softest hands on the tournament. What a slick goal!

[HansViktor]

A beauty. He did an identical against Czech in Swedens first game.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1345477100241879041

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/statu...40213857890305

[Devlin]

6th rounder? Must be missing something?

[mooneyes]

6th rounder? Must be missing something?

Like Zetterberg? (7th round)

[mooneyes]

Caufield looks like a legit goal scorer. Not sure what the Habs would do with him though with 3 big contracts ahead of him on rt wing.

[Cunnuc]

Zetterberg in the 7th. Datsyuk in the 6th. Fedorov in the 4th. Lidstrom in the 3rd. Holmstrom in the 10th. Also, I know they weren't drafted by Detroit but didn't Robitaille and Hasek both go in the 10th?

[sparty07]

Same exact move twice, not sure how often he could do it in pros once they see him on film. But sweet goals nonetheless

[Devlin]

Those mentioned above are great picks, but they are the exception. Scores taken in those rounds and never make it.

[30ranfordfan]

Zetterberg in the 7th. Datsyuk in the 6th. Fedorov in the 4th. Lidstrom in the 3rd. Holmstrom in the 10th. Also, I know they weren't drafted by Detroit but didn't Robitaille and Hasek both go in the 10th?

This is all true, but you also have to remember those were very different times.

Federov would have been a top 5 pick, but nobody knew if he'd ever be able to come to North America. Detroit taking him in the 4th round clearly paid off - but that's simply because they were the first team willing to gamble a mid-round pick on a high ceiling guy.

Hasek, same thing..... though it was many years earlier when he was picked. 1983, I think? There was no expectation that he'd ever play in the NHL... and for a lot of years after he was picked, that seemed like it would be the case.

Robitaille with a 9th round pick in 1984. Fun trivia fact: The LA Kings drafted two future hall of famers that year.... in the 4th round, they also selected two-sport athlete Tom Glavine. I suspect he does not regret choosing baseball. I do recall reading a few years ago that in retirement - he's coaching his son's hockey team.

Lidstom in the 3rd may be the best value pick in the history of the draft. He's Swedish, so the issues for players like Federov did not apply to him. I have no idea how high he was ranked heading into that draft (I'm thinking that European players weren't ranked). I'm guessing he was taken - roughly - where he was supposed to go... but man did that one pan out. When you can turn a 3rd round pick into one of the greatest defenceman of all time, that is definitely a win.

The Holmstrom, Zetterberg & Datsyuk picks - I've always thought Holland gets a little over hyped because of these supposed genius moves. Clearly getting players of that skill, that late in the draft, is a huge deal..... but if Holland believed that those guys would have turned out to be half as good as they eventually did: He'd have taken them sooner.

What's more accurate, is Holland put good people into important positions, and he listened to them. Particularly Hakan Anderson. My understanding is that he was handed the 10th pick and told to draft whomever he wanted (Holmstrom). He was the only NHL scout that ever saw Datsyuk play. I think he & Jim Nill both saw Zetterberg and really liked him. I think in all three of those cases - they found the player while going to a game to scout someone else.

This Solderblom kid might turn out to be another draft steal for them.... and I'd be willing to bet that Anderson was all over this pick too.