Red Wings get three Swedes, a forward and two goaltenders

DALLAS -- It really couldn't be a Detroit Red Wings draft without the Wings getting a few players from Sweden.
After taking Czech Republic native Filip Zadina and Canadian Joseph Veleno in the first round, Detroit selected forward Jonatan Berggren with the first of their two second-round picks, at No. 33.

"It was a shock," Berggren said. "It was so amazing. Detroit when I was younger was one of my favorite clubs. It's amazing."
Berggren, listed at 5-foot-10, 183 pounds, had 18 goals and 39 assists in 38 games for Skelleftea AIK J20 in Sweden's SuperElit League.
"Berggren, the guy you could say he has a chance to become is Viktor Arvidsson in Nashville, a really speedy forward who plays with great intensity and has a good feel for the net," said Hakan Andersson, Detroit's director of European scouting. "That's what we see in him."
As a Swede, Berggren naturally followed the Wings and their many Swedes. "Yeah, of course," he said. "(Nick) Lidstrom and (Henrik) Zetterberg and (Tomas) Holmstrom, many."

Fans who attended the Five Nations Tournament at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth earlier in the year might have seen Berggren there playing for Team Sweden.
Berggren expects to remain in Sweden to continue his development as many young Swedes choose to do.
"He's a young kid, he led the Swedish Junior League in scoring this year," Andersson said. "He's on the team that's going to play in Kamloops, World Junior teams, the first tournament before the big one. We're happy. A couple of teams came up and said they were planning to take him right after us. Montreal was one of them."
The Red Line Report said Berggren's style compares to Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat.
"Was Sweden's best and most dangerous forward at the World U-18 Championships, easily leading the team with 10 points," the Red Line Report stated. "Ultra quick feet and always keeps them moving. Plenty of slick moves, dangerous off the rush and has an inside-out move that makes defenders look silly. Very good lateral agility and makes all of his moves at top speed. Likes to drive wide with speed and then cut in quickly. Has a hard snap shot that he gets off quickly and locates really well. Likes to play in traffic and finishes checks. Smallish but plays feisty and is quite stocky, with a low center of gravity that makes him hard to hit cleanly. Slick in the corners with head feints that create separation. Excellent at breaking up plays and making quick-strike counterattacks. Makes a lot of nice little set-up feeds. Makes a legitimate effort in the defensive end and sacrifices his body along the wall to clear the zone."
In the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Wings took goaltender Filip Larsson in the sixth round, 167th overall, on the recommendation of goaltending scout Maciej Szwoch.
The Wings had planned on taking a goaltender in this draft and turned to Szwoch again. This time, the Wings took two netminders Szwoch recommended: Jesper Eliasson, with the third of their third-round picks, 84th overall, and Victor Brattstrom, in the sixth round, 160th overall.

"Two big goalies," Andersson said. "We have a goalie scout from Sweden (who) did a lot of research, he knows goalies more than I do. He thinks they're talented and they have great work ethic. So we're hoping we got two really good goalie prospects."
Eliasson, who was not at the draft, played in 18 games for IF Troja-Ljungby J18 in the J18 Elit league, registering a 1.73 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.
In 12 games with IF Troja-Ljungby J18 in the J18 Allsvenskan league, Eliasson had a 3.24 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
Eliasson also played in 19 games for IF Troja-Ljungby of the Allsvenskan league and had a 1.93 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.
He is listed at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds and was ranked 11th by NHL Central Scouting among European goaltenders.
Brattstrom, who is 6-foot-5, 198 pounds, played 15 games for Timra IK of Allsvenskan league and registered a 1.93 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
He is an older goaltender at 21 and was also not present in Dallas.
"The coach of that team just made it up from second-highest league to the Swedish Elite League, he just texted me, 'Congratulations for a great pick. He was a big part of us winning,'" Andersson said. "They think he's going to be a great player."
TAKING SOME DEFENSEMEN: Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told NBC Sports Network after the first round that the Wings planned to look to the blue line on the second day of the draft.
With the 36th pick, their second in the second round, Detroit took defenseman Jared McIsaac from the Halifax Mooseheads.

"Definitely worth the wait. Very surreal moment," McIsaac said. "A lot of family with me here this week, owe it to them. I felt in Buffalo I had a really good meeting. I think they were my first meeting of the week. And then I went to supper with Detroit two days later. I had a pretty good feeling come today it might be Detroit but like I said, I'm very happy."
The Wings were happy that McIsaac was still available as some mock drafts had him going in the first round.
"Just a steady defenseman," said Tyler Wright, the Wings director of amateur scouting. "A hard-nosed player. Skates well. Plays in all situations. I don't think power play is going to be kind of his thing but he's a good penalty killer, plays against the best players, plays physical, he's good on the PK. We liked a lot about his game. Obviously we kind of tried to target a little bit of defense going into this draft and things just kind of happened as we went in. We had Berggren really high on our list and couldn't pass up his skill. That was kind of the reasoning with the 33 pick. With McIsaac, we liked the defense. We liked what he brings to the table as far as with the mixture of the kids we have got. I think he's going to be a pretty good complementary player."
Red Line Report had McIsaac ranked 38th: "Big defender has the stride to jump into the rush or lead it occasionally, but plays a very low risk style. Powerful, fast skater who is sturdy on skates. Big and athletic. Good first pass and hard shot. On the PP he distributes well and gets his shot on net when no better option exists. Defensively he uses an active stick and will also lay some big hits to jar the puck loose and keep forwards honest. Understands the game but sometimes doesn't anticipate quickly enough. On his off nights, he's a turnover machine, cramping up mentally and trying to force passes into crowds. Seems like a guy who grew early and is now unsure how to play against opponents who have caught up to him physically. We don't see a smart player; has to decide if he wants to be a tough guy (which he's not), or a finesse guy (which he's definitely not)."
McIsaac was a teammate of Kadina's in Halifax.
"Obviously Filip is a generational talent, there's not many goal scorers like him," McIsaac said. "Very happy for him and then to be able to be drafted by the same team is very special. Just the family aspect of this, as much as it's for me, it's for my family, too. I'm very proud."

McIsaac said practicing against Zadina every day and against last year's first overall pick, Nico Hischier, has helped his own development.
"He challenges you," McIsaac said of Zadina. "I try to match up with him as much as possible. Being able to play and practice with him and Nico Hischier last year and Filip last year and all the other great players we have in Halifax, it's pretty tough but I enjoy the challenge. I look forward to coming to the rink every day with those guys in Halifax."
McIsaac had around 30 people in his entourage, including his parents, both sets of grandparents, an uncle and aunt and some cousins.
"It's truly humbling to have them with me the whole way to here," McIsaac said. "And obviously moving forward as well they're going to be a big support staff for me."
McIsaac said he's looking forward to showing the kind of player he is in development camp next week.
"One of my main strengths is my skating," McIsaac said. "When I'm using it effectively, I'm able to jump into the rush and get back efficiently and able to defend the other team's top lines. I want to keep working on everything possible about my game, but I think the biggest thing is probably my decision making with the puck and my shot. Having a more lethal shot coming up. Obviously, working hard this summer to make a difference and move forward. That's something I'm going to work on."
With their first pick in the third round, 67th overall, the Wings took defenseman Alec Regula, who is 6-foot-4, 201 pounds.
"He's got good size," Wright said. "He was a great interview at the combine. He's kind of been a kid that's been a little bit of a late bloomer, a guy that's obviously got a history with the Red Wings with his family. He's driven, he's big. He had a good year in London playing with (Evan) Bouchard. Two big guys. Another big body that's kind of a stay-at-home defenseman that we want to play rugged. We just want to get a mix of these guys with the mix that we've got coming up."

Red Line Report had Regula 83rd on their list: "Underrated sleeper has come a long way this season. Big, rangy blue-liner with a long stick. Moves very well in all four directions and is quite mobile for a tall, gangly kid. Excellent gap control. Uses his outstanding size and strength to keep checks to the outside, or tie them up legally in front of net. Makes the easy first pass to clear the defensive zone. Not flashy but highly effective. Doesn't focus much energy on the offensive zone, but actually makes intelligent plays showing some creativity when he gets there. Just starting to gain confidence in the offensive end, and there's still plenty of untapped potential. Willing to handle the puck and carry it out of own end when he doesn't see a good outlet. Does a great job on the penalty kill getting into shooting lanes to block shots and uses his long reach to tip passes/deflect shots."
For his part, Regula wasn't too surprised to hear the Wings call his name on Saturday.
"After the meeting I kind of had an inkling they liked me, they were one of the teams that was probably going to take me," Regula said. "So I wasn't too shocked. But when any team takes you it's a sigh of relief."
Regula knows quite a bit about Detroit and the Red Wings as he was born in West Bloomfield, Mich.

"Yeah, they were my favorite team growing up all the way and my dad was the dentist for them for a while, so been to a lot of games and real familiar with the program," Regula said.
Regula's father, Chet, was the Wings' dentist for 29 years and is currently the Detroit Lions team dentist.
Regula played with the OHL's London Knights, sometimes paired with Evan Bouchard, taken by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, 10th overall.
"It was awesome playing with him," Regula said. "I took a lot from him and learned a ton of stuff and he definitely helped me be where I am today."
Although he is a defenseman, it was a Detroit forward that Regula enjoyed watching while growing up in Michigan.
"I really loved Valtteri Filppula growing up," Regula said. "After he (left as free agent), I was a little bit hurt, but I'd say my favorite all the way through was Nick Lidstrom, he's awesome to watch."
The Red Wings stayed on their defensive path with their second pick in the third round, 81st overall, taking blueliner Seth Barton with the pick they acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in the Petr Mrazek trade.
Barton is listed at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds.

"Another late bloomer type defenseman," Wright said. "Very good skater. Good size, good puck moving defenseman. He just kind of fits that bill again. We were pretty confident that with the three thirds that we were going to be able to target some guys. Ultimately they were there."
Red Line Report had Barton ranked 81st, two spots ahead of Regula.
"Big, strong, solid defensive blue-liner is capable of performing a shutdown role," RLR said. "Standout athlete is a second year eligible who emerged out of nowhere in the second half. Great in transition with an explosive start up. Displays highly advanced footwork for such a raw prospect, with dynamic east-west lateral agility. Toys with the opposition at the Tier II level with confident and aggressive stickhandling. Will pinch hard to force the action and keep plays alive at the offensive blue line. In our viewings, he alternated between being an aggressive pace-pushing defender, or a simplistic, safe puck mover. Must start linking these two styles more seamlessly with increased experience. Strong wrists produce plenty of zip on his passes. Shrugs off containment along the walls and hits teammates right on the tape while on the move. Strong down low defensively and wins corner battles."
HOMETOWN HERO: Fans watching the second day of the draft might have heard a loud eruption when the Red Wings selected forward Ryan O'Reilly, a native of Southlake, Tex. in the fourth round, 98th overall.
"It's really special for me," O'Reilly said. "I have 30-40 family members here. I think I had to bring the house down when my name got called. I have a bunch of supportive friends and family so it's just awesome that it was here in Dallas."

O'Reilly will be joining Larsson at the University of Denver.
"Just a big guy, he's a little bit of a late bloomer, he's going to Denver," Wright said. "We talked to Jim Montgomery, who was in Denver, head coach now of the Dallas Stars, we got a kid in Filip Larsson going to Denver, so we got a little bit of a relationship there. He had mono for half the year and didn't play a lot but scored I believe 21 goals in the USHL and he's a big-bodied guy. He's got to work on his skating but he's got a good touch around the net. We're going to send him to college for a couple of years and kind of tuck him away and get our player development guys after him and hopefully we can see the fruits of fruition."
Of course, growing up in Texas, the Wings and Dallas Stars were often adversaries in the playoffs.
"There was always that little of a rivalry between the two of them," O'Reilly said. "But I've always had a passion for the Red Wings, especially living there in Novi. It's great to be chosen by them. It's pretty unbelievable."
O'Reilly played in Michigan during his Pee Wee Major year for the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club in 2013-14.

"We used to practice at the Joe," O'Reilly said. "It was awesome, got to see some of the pro guys there. Setting me up with (Pavel) Datsyuk and getting to talk to some of those guys was awesome."
However, it was only natural that O'Reilly's favorite player growing up was not a Wing.
"My favorite player growing up was probably Jamie Benn watching him play for the Stars," O'Reilly said. "My dad had season tickets so it was kind of like a fight for me and brothers on who would get to go to the game that night. A big player like him is good to match my game up, he's such a versatile guy with how big he is. I really liked him."
O'Reilly is 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds and would love to evolve into a player like Benn.
"I think of myself more as a power forward and sniper," O'Reilly said. "When most guys think of me, they think more of my shots and my ability to score goals. "I'm always trying to work on my skating, especially in the league nowadays, you can never be fast enough. I think skating is one of the things I could work on."
O'Reilly played for the USHL's Madison Capitols last season and scored 21 goals and 13 assists in 45 games.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: The Wings were supposed to have back-to-back picks in the sixth round, at 159 and 160 but opted to trade the 159th pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Blue Jackets' fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft.
The Wings' final pick, No. 191 in the seventh round, ended up being forward Otto Kivenmaki, listed at just 5-foot-8, 137 pounds.
"He's very small," Andersson said. "He's skilled and has hockey sense. In the late rounds we didn't think there was any more talent there. Obviously, you can draft bigger guys or go in a different direction. We thought he had a lot of talent."

Ranked 102nd by NHL Central Scouting among European skaters, Kivenmaki played in 37 games for Jr. A SM-liiga. He had 11 goals and 26 assists.