More Swedes!
After trading the 11th overall pick to the Arizona Coyotes and receiving picks 27, 34, and 45 overall, the San Jose Sharks uses the second newly-found second-round draft pick on Swedish defenseman Mattias Havelid. The 5-foot-10, 154-pound blueliner plays for Linköpings HC in the Swedish Hockey League. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he is teammates with first-round pick Filip Bystedt.
Havelid played 29 games in the J20 league and put up a solid 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points in 29 games. He also played an impressive 20 games in the top-tier men’s league. The young defender really shined in the U18 Championships, where he scored 4 goals and 8 assists in six games to earn an All-Star Honors.
Havelid isn’t the largest defenseman, but isn’t afraid to get physical and use his body. He will need to continue to work on his skating, but projects to be an average to above-average skater in the NHL. In his own zone, he gives 100 percent on every shift, but will need to continue to work on his reads, which should come with playing more games against more skilled competition.
Mattias Havelid is projected to be a second-pairing offensive defenseman who will excel in the transition game.