Golden Knights draft David Edstrom 32nd overall
The Vegas Golden Knights selected David Edstrom with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
David Edstrom
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185 lbs
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
Club: Frolunda (U20 Sweden)
Nationality: 🇸🇪
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 25th among European skaters
2022-23 stats
| GP | G | A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frolunda (U20 Sweden) | 28 | 15 | 13 |
| Frolunda (SHL) | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| U18 Worlds | 7 | 5 | 3 |
Few prospects saw their draft stock rocket up the charts as much as Edstrom after the U18s.
Ranked the No. 36 European skater on Central Scouting's midterm list, Edstrom rose to No. 25 on the final edition and later soared into the first round on various outlets' post-U18s rankings.
Centering Sweden's top line, Edstrom tallied five goals and eight points at the tournament. He played significant minutes against opposing nations' top players, seeing ice time in excess of 20 minutes in all three of Sweden's eliminations games against Latvia, Canada, and the USA.
That performance on a big stage caught scouts' attention, but Edstrom was doing impressive things previously with his club team as well. He scored 28 points in as many games at the U20 level, making him one of the eight draft-eligible players to score at a point-per-game rate in that league this season.
Edstrom didn't look out of place in limited SHL minutes, either, tallying four points in 11 games and a 53% Corsi For rating. Only Leo Carlsson scored at a higher clip among SHL draft eligibles this year.
He's expected to remain in Sweden next season with Frolunda, where he'll likely make the full-time jump to the professional ranks.
What they're saying
"Edstrom is a well-rounded center with size who isn't overly flashy but has a lot of NHL traits," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote. "Edstrom is good around the net, kills penalties, wins a lot of battles, and makes enough plays with the puck to produce good offensive numbers."
"A center with size, good skating ability, and skill can be hard to find," FloHockey's Chris Peters wrote. "He needs more polish, but his athletic toolkit suggests major upside."
"Edstrom has been a steady riser this season, establishing himself as a borderline dominant player against his peers and demonstrating he can hang against men," wrote The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "He projects as a solid third-line center who can contribute on both special teams."
Click here to watch Edstrom's highlights.