Simon Forsmark – 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

by

Simon Forsmark

2021-22 Team: Örebro HK (SHL)
Date of Birth: Oct. 17, 2003
Place of Birth: Kumla, SWE
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 194 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2022 first-year eligible

Rankings

There are quite a few prospects coming out of Sweden that are generating a buzz, especially after the team’s gold medal performance at the World U18 Championship. While he wasn’t on that team, one draft eligible name that has been on display from the beginning is Örebro HK’s Simon Forsmark. 

Related: THW 2022 NHL Draft Guide

After a dominating performance at the J20 level where he was above a point per game with 27 points in 23 games, Forsmark posted a strong 0.52 primary points per game average. That put him 10th overall among draft eligible defensemen. He also saw significant time with the SHL team, where he recorded three assists in 43 games.

THW 2022 NHL Entry Draft Guide Shane Wright and Logan Cooley
Shane Wright and Logan Cooley (The Hockey Writers)

While we shouldn’t focus too much on the production as he’s still transitioning at that level, there’s a lot of promise to Forsmark’s game. He plays a very effective two-way style as he has great reaction time and smarts in the neutral and defensive zone, while also being a poised puck distributor. He’s extremely confident with his decision making and body positioning on both sides of the puck. He’s always playing with great determination and even though he isn’t flashy, he’s always effective on an ensuing play.

Defensively, this is where Forsmark shines as he displays great awareness and a keen eye of when to jump up or disrupt a play with his long reach and a timely poke check or stick lift. He does a great job of getting into the lanes and forcing the opposition to the outside showing great gap control and maintaining good coverage in front of the net, playing with that shutdown defensive style. This allows him to use his size to his advantage in plays along on the boards on the cycle or protecting the puck on breakouts. There are times where he may panic when he has control of the puck, but he’s able to recover quickly.

Offensively, Forsmark is underrated when it comes to that producing points and engagaing on the attack. While he isn’t the strongest skater, he still has a long stride that allows him to be a factor when carrying the puck and break free from pressure. Much like his overall game, he doesn’t show any flash offensively as he does a great job of joining the rush and being engaged on the cycle. He can protect the puck extremely well and can navigate well in high traffic areas. He’s a strong playmaker, locating his teammates with perfectly timed passes and opening the game up for players to get into the open lanes. He does possess a strong shot from the point, one that he could look to utilize more often.

The potential is already evident in Forsmark’s game. If he continues to take steps in his production and improve his speed while finding his footing at the senior level, he could become extremely dangerous on the backend.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Simon Forsmark – NHL Draft Projection

Teams love to have defenseman that can be reliable in their own end but maintain an offensive presence. Forsmark does just that with his ability to shut down defensively and quietly be a factor offensively. While he may not have that upside compared to other defenders in this draft, he’s definitely worthy of being an early to mid-second round selection. At worst, he would be a great pickup in the third round.

Quotables

“He’s an extremely mature defender, a strong two-way presence. Forsmark is strong defending the rush, leading with his stick and angling out into the boards with ease. He’s a takeaway machine, forcing turnovers with regularity and quickly turning it back up the ice. It seems that any puck around him, on a stick or not, seems to end up on his stick.”– Josh Bell, FC Hockey 

“Forsmark has struggled to produce offense so far but he is engaged in offensive play through zone entries and his positioning in the offensive zone. He occasionally has seemed overwhelmed in the defensive end by the quicker and stronger competition at the men’s level, however. He primarily needs to work on his defensive positioning and speed in order to adapt to a step up in competition.”– Alexa Potack, Dobber Prospects 

“His defensive game has been what caught the eye of many with some very good tendencies defending the rush and quality mobility to mirror the puck carrier before using a smart and controlled stick to break the play up. Forsmark turns play around with smart, safe passes and uses his teammates well on the breakout.”– Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News

Strengths 

Steady two-way game
IQ and awareness
Active stick
Puck protection

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

Skating and mobility
Continue to improve offensive output
Puck control under pressure 

NHL Potential

Forsmark could still use some time to develop as he has a very versatile skillset as a defenseman who can be a factor offensively and defensively. Even if his production is average, he will still be a great piece as a bottom three defender that can be utilized in a shutdown role, while also seeing time on special teams. His passing will benefit a power play, but he may see more time in a penalty-killing role.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 2/5, Reward 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 6/10, Defense 7.5/10

Awards/ Achievements

Forsmark was part of Sweden’s bronze medal team in 2021 at the World U18 Championship where he registered two points in seven games. This season, he was named J20 Nationell best defenseman– an award that was previously won by Tobias Bjornfot (Los Angeles Kings), Nils Lundkvist (New York Rangers) and Hampus Lindholm (Boston Bruins) to name a few. 

Simon Forsmark Statistics

Videos

Statistics from Pick224.