Kings select smooth-skating Tobias Bjornfot 22nd overall
The Los Angeles Kings selected defenseman Tobias Bjornfot with the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Tobias Bjornfot
Position: Defense
Height: 6-feet
Weight: 203 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Djurgardens IF J20
Nationality: Swedish
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 11 | 11 | 22 |
(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)
Bjornfot excelled with Djurgardens IF's junior club, earning a seven-game regular-season stint in Sweden's top professional league along with four postseason appearances.
The first thing that stands out when watching Bjornfot is his elite skating ability; he's able to use his feet to skate out of trouble in the defensive end. Offensively, he doesn't offer much skill or creativity, and probably won't be a big point producer.
Bjornfot is excellent at preventing zone entries. He won't deliver huge hits, but he's good at using his body and an active stick to break up plays at the blue line. Combined with his skating ability, this makes him a strong transition player.
Making player comparisons can be dicey, but Bjornfot has many of the same characteristics as Arizona Coyotes defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson.
What they're saying
"He's not flashy, but he's a very mobile and smart defenseman," an NHL scout told The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "He kills a lot of plays, can skate pucks up and can give you some offense."