Author: Justin Hough

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers took Tyler Tullio with the 126th Pick in the 5th Round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Tullio and the Generals started the 2019-20 season off as good as it could get. They were perfect in their first nine games. Tullio posted 6-5-11 in that stretch showing that they were ready for another run in the Eastern Conference.

Tullio’s emergence was a big reason for the hot early start. He showed that not only can he finish, he can drive the play on his line on his own. But this season, he proved he can play anywhere in the lineup. One game he would line up at center and be effective. Another game he would line up on the wing and find ways to contribute. But then he was out killing penalties too. His versatility has garnered attention and he will be sought after early on day two of the draft.

COLUMBUS, OH – Samuel Johannesson has not received much fanfare this season, but he became a sleeper pick in his second year of eligibility as the Columbus Blue Jackets picked him 176th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.

He may have started the season in the SuperElit league with Rögle BK’s J20 team, but ended up finishing it with Rögle BK in the SHL. As a 19-year-old, he posted 1 goal and 11 points in 44 games. All of his production came at even strength and seven of his ten helpers were of the primary variety. Even though he played a limited role at the beginning of the season, he did start to eclipse the 20-minute mark more frequently towards the end of 2019. From the beginning of December to the end of the season, he averaged almost 15 minutes of ice time and became a key piece of Rögle BK’s defence core.

DALLAS, TX – With the 154th pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft the Dallas Stars select forward Daniel Ljungman from the Linköping program in Sweden.

Ljungman put his name out there in the scouting world last summer at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring four goals in five games, as well as some shootout tallies against Canada and the United States. His stock fell a bit over the 2019-20 season though, putting up just 23 points in 40 games in Sweden’s top junior league, but he was still ranked as high as 100th by McKeen’s and 104th by Elite Prospects.

DETROIT, MI – The Detroit Red Wings selected a pair of forwards late in the second round of the NHL draft Wednesday.

The Red Wings took center Theodor Niederbach (Frolunda Juniors in Sweden) with the 51st selection and added left wing Cross Hanas (Portland, WHL) with the 55th pick.

Neiderbach (5-11, 172) tallied 15 goals and 33 assists in 40 games for Frolunda’s junior team in 2019-20. He shoots right.

Red Line Report said of Neiderbach: “Fine speed and skills; effort/compete levels are spotty.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – The LA Kings have selected defenseman Helge Grans with the 35th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Helge Grans is an interesting player with a profile that tends to project out well. He’s produced well at the junior level, played a lot of SHL games (albeit in limited minutes) and worked his way into a regular role on Malmo’s power play. He’s been a top player for Sweden’s U18 team and often the anchor from the point on the power play. I’ve seen very good flashes from him over the years, as he can make some very good passes from both ends and has a hard shot from the point.