Is 2024 draft prospect Leo Sahlin Wallenius a fit for the Calgary Flames prospect pool?
1 month ago
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Red rover, red rover, bring a defenceman over.
The Calgary Flames have two picks between the end of the first round (28th overall) and early in the second round (41st overall). While the two players picked at this spot aren’t a sure-fire hit, there will definitely be some talented players that the Flames could pick.
In this article, we’ll look at Swedish defenceman Leo Sahlin Wallenius.
Leo Sahlin Wallenius scouting report and profile
Left-shot defenceman, born Apr. 10, 2006, in Skövde, Sweden, 6’0”, 183 lbs
Sahlin Wallenius plays for the Växjö Lakers’ affiliate team in the J20 Nationell, where he scored 11 goals and led the team with 42 points in 43 games. Although he hasn’t played in the Swedish Hockey League yet, the 18-year-old was the alternate captain for Sweden’s u-18 team, where he had three assists in seven games.
It’s expected by many that he’ll land late on the first day, or early on the second day. His highest ranking is from The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler who ranked him 27th. TSN’s Craig Button ranked him similarly at 29th in his March update, while Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino ranked Sahlin Wallenius 30th, also in March. As for his lower rankings, Smaht Scouting and Elite Prospects ranked him 60th, while his consolidated ranking for the site is 35th. Daily Faceoff recently ranked him 39th.
The Athletic’s Wheeler points out that Sahlin Wallenius’s skating is one of the best for a defenceman in this class. On top of that, he has good playmaking ability and isn’t afraid to go up the ice. Defensively, his quickness helps him while he has a good stick.
Smaht Scouting’s “SpokedZ” ranked Sahlin Wallenius 60th overall, one of his lowest rankings. Noting the skill and mobility while also pointing to him being eager to be part of the play. There’s a lot of offensive upside as he is creative and “unpredictable”, while he is “a solid enough defender”.
Per Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, Sahlin Wallenius plays at a high pace, which can be a detriment to his game at points. Offensively, he’s great and will need to play the Swedish Hockey League next season, but he makes mistakes at times, a workable problem that can be fixed.
Sahlin Wallenius should be available when the Flames pick with the 28th overall pick, however; it’d be going off the board. With that being said, if he is available when they pick with their second-round pick, it may not be the worst idea to pick the mobile left-shot defender!
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
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