With the 8th Pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oilers Have Selected Philip Broberg From AIK of the SHL
About Philip Broberg
As far as skating is concerned, it would be hard to find a better defender in this draft class. Philip Broberg is arguably the second-best defender coming out of this draft class and it isn’t surprising to see him go so early in the 2019 Draft.
Capable of playing an excellent two-way game and contribute on both ends of the ice, Broberg has the makings of a top-pairing defender. The biggest knock on him is his puck-handling and positioning at times, both of which lead to errors both forced and unforced. Still, part of that can be attributed to his age playing against such experienced players on the other side of the ice.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Broberg may be one of the best defensive skaters in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Starting plays from his own end, he can fly around the opposition or shoot a puck up ice to one of his teammates. He hasn’t put up the points like some of the other defenders in this year’s draft, but he already has experience playing against men in the Swedish Allsvenskan League.
Related: NHL Draft Guide | 2019 Edition
Broberg has been described as “the most complete defenceman in his draft class.” His skating is already at an elite level, and he’s played the game at the highest levels available to him. Looking at the points he’s put up in his career, he doesn’t stand out, but considering he’s been significantly younger than the players he’s played with, his stat lines are nothing to balk at. In 23 games in the U20 SuperElit last season, Broberg had six goals and 13 points as a 16-year-old.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is where his stock shot up, impressing with his three goals and four points through five games. He also stood out in his own end, helping Team Sweden to a silver medal. Despite being ranked all over the top-20, Broberg should go in the top-15 at the very least.”
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects the Oilers Plans
It’s hard to be optimistic about the Oilers’ chances of turning things around based on how this team has performed for over a decade. With that said, it’s also hard to be down on a player like Broberg who joins a long list of high-profile prospects drafted by Edmonton in recent years.
If the Oilers can turn a new leaf and properly develop these young players, there’s no reason Broberg can’t one day make an impact on their back-end. It’ll be hard to ever be considered the franchise player on a team that employs Connor McDavid as their captain, but that’s also a good thing for the team and for Broberg as the expectation will never be that of a No. 1 cornerstone player.
