NHL Prospect Watch: Sweden

NHL prospects across the globe have started their 2020-21 season and are in the spotlight among fans and personnel across the League. Each Tuesday, NHL.com will examine one of the major professional leagues in Europe, detailing certain players to watch, as well as noting those from other European leagues who are playing well.
Today, Sweden:

Liam Kirk
, a forward playing for Hanhals IF in HockeyEttan, Sweden's third professional division, said he's a better hockey player today than when the Arizona Coyotes made him the first player born and trained in Great Britain to be chosen in the NHL Draft.
"If I'm being honest, when I was drafted my skill set was minimal," said Kirk, who was selected in the seventh round (No. 189) of the 2018 NHL Draft. "I'd never experienced or had taught to me a lot of basic things North American kids would get. But I've learned different styles of skating and how to work on it, how to shield the puck and create space.
"My game has completely changed from when I was drafted."
The 20-year-old forward has scored seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games for Hanhals, and he plays on the power play and penalty kill.
"My game has changed to a more North American style of hockey," he said. "I had to play more physical and move the puck quicker."
Born in Rotherham, Great Britain, Kirk (6-foot-1, 156 pounds) hopes one day to be the first player born and trained in the United Kingdom to skate in the NHL.
Kirk scored 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) in 47 games for Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League last season.
"I had a tough year with [upper body] injuries that set me back, and then with [OHL] playoffs being cancelled it really hurt my chances of signing an entry-level contract (with the Coyotes) this summer," Kirk said. "I see this as an opportunity, though, to further my game and confidence and make this year my year to show I'm ready for the next step."
Kirk has scored 97 points (47 goals, 50 assists) in 110 games in two seasons with Peterborough and plans on returning to the OHL for another season of development; the league is targeting Feb. 4, 2021 to start its season.
Not only has Kirk's level of play improved the past two seasons in North America, but he's gotten bigger and stronger on his skates since draft day.

"I'm up to 180 pounds," Kirk said. "It's been tough since my body doesn't allow weight on very easily, so I've spent the past two years and the summer training more intensely, eating as much as I can every day to help gain size. My strength coach in England, Danny Mawer, has been incredible with me and I owe a lot to him.
"We've worked together for seven years and he always finds the right balance of training that will increase my performance on and off the ice."
Kirk worked his way up the development ladder in Great Britain before his promotion to Sheffield of the Elite Ice Hockey League as a 16-year-old in 2016-17. He's been a key player for his country at almost every major international event since then.
"A lot of people, especially in England, are in tough situations to find ice time, let alone a place to play, so when the opportunity came to give me a place to be playing, it was a no-brainer," Kirk said. "The style is different (from the OHL), but it's still at a fast pace. I'd say the OHL is more competitive and the hockey is more structured than in HockeyEttan."

Four other NHL prospects currently playing well in Sweden:

Raphael Lavoie, F, Vasby IK
The 20-year-old has scored 10 points (seven goals, three assists) and has 58 shots on goal in 16:47 of ice time in 17 games in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second division. Lavoie (6-4, 196) was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (No. 38) in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Isac Lundestrom, F, Timra
Selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the No. 23 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old left-shot center has scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) and averaged 15:23 in ice time in 12 games in Allsvenskan. The past two seasons Lundestrom has six assists in 30 games with the Ducks, and has scored 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 55 games with San Diego of the American Hockey League.
Filip Hallander, F, Lulea
Hallander (6-1, 190) has scored six points (one goal, five assists) while averaging 15:54 of ice time in 14 games in his third season in the Swedish Hockey League. The 20-year-old was selected in the second round (No. 58) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2018 Draft and was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Aug. 25 as part of the six-player deal that sent forward Kasperi Kapanen to the Penguins.
Jack Drury, F, Vaxjo
The 20-year-old has scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) and has 34 shots on goal in 18:02 of ice time in 17 SHL games. Drury (5-11, 174), chosen in the second round (No. 42) by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2018 Draft, played two seasons at Harvard University before signing a one-year contract with Vaxjo on July 31.

Five other NHL prospects to keep an eye on:

Arseny Gritsyuk (New Jersey Devils), F, Metallurg Novokuznetsk:The 19-year-old (5-10, 169), selected in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2019 NHL Draft, has scored six points (two goals, four assists) in eight games in the Supreme Hockey League, Russia's second-highest professional league. He also has three shots on goal in six games with Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Anton Lundell (Florida Panthers), F, HIFK:The 19-year-old (6-1, 185), selected No. 12 in the 2020 NHL Draft, scored six points (two goals, four assists) in an 11-1 win against Jukurit on Nov. 18. He's fourth in Liiga, Finland's top professional league, with 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) while averaging 19:21 of ice time in 15 games.
Yegor Rykov (New York Rangers), D, CSKA Moscow:The 23-year-old (6-2, 210) has seven assists and a plus-4 rating in 25 games on loan in the KHL. Rykov, who was acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils for forward
Michael Grabner
on Feb. 22, 2018, scored 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 27 games with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season. The Devils had selected Rykov in the fifth round (No. 132) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
Kristian Vesalainen (Winnipeg Jets), F, HPK:The 21-year-old (6-3, 207), chosen with the No. 24 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has scored eight points (four goals, four assists) and has 42 shots on goal in eight games in Liiga.
Kasper Bjorkqvist (Pittsburgh Penguins), F, KooKoo: The 23-year-old (6-1, 198), selected in the second round (No. 61) of the 2016 Draft, has scored 10 points (five goals, five assists), including two power-play goals, in 15 games in Liiga.
Photo credits: Terry Wilson | OHL images