Albin Grewe – 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Vancouver THW 2019 NHL Entry Draft Guide (Square)

Albin Grewe

2018-19 Team: Djurgårdens IF/Djurgårdens IF J20
Date of Birth: March 22, 2001
Place of Birth: Märsta, Sweden
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible

Rankings

Some may look at the play of Albin Grewe and see a small player. He doesn’t play small. Some may see a grinder. He’s much more than that. Grewe can be described more as a power forward. Once he breaks into the NHL, he’ll likely also be known as a fan favourite.

Related: NHL Draft Guide | 2019 Edition

Grewe is that player grinding in the corners, most of the time coming out with the puck. His compete level is higher than most, not just in the draft. He’s a very physical player who never gives up, although sometimes that gets him into penalty trouble which he’ll need to work on. Luckily, he makes up for that with solid puck control, which should transition nicely into the NHL.

In terms of comparisons, Grewe looks like he’ll be another Brad Marchand, Nazem Kadri and Brady Tkachuk. Be prepared to love him if your team drafts him and hate him if he goes somewhere else.

The Swedish team seems to like him as well, as he’s represented his country four times over the last three years. He has a bronze medal from the 2018 World U18 Junior Championship and a gold medal for the same tournament in 2019. He doesn’t have many international points (two points in 14 U18 games), but it’s clear he’s an asset to the team since they keep bringing him back.

He had a good year in the SuperElit, with 34 points in 25 games, and adding six points in eight playoff games. In the regular season, he also added 102 penalty minutes, so there’s definitely a need for improvement there. He seemed to keep it in check in the playoffs though, with just two penalty minutes.

He seemed to struggle in the SHL, though, playing 15 games without recording a point. He’ll likely need some more time to develop before he can compete at that next level let alone the NHL.

Other THW Draft Profiles:

Albin Grewe – NHL Draft Projection

The rankings have Grewe late in the first round or somewhere in the second. The second will likely be where he goes. While the first-round picks are not guaranteed, this is a year where there are so many names that could go near the end of the initial round that Grewe will likely miss the cut. Expect him to go in the second round, near the tail end of it.

Quotables

“He’s smart, but he’s not an elite playmaker and can force plays. He skates fine, but he’s not a blazer. What Grewe does bring is a high compete level and a physical game that helps overcome his size. He goes over the line at times, a lot of his penalties this season were due to excess physicality. Grewe isn’t a grinder, though. He’s got great puck skills and makes skilled plays into the tough areas. He could be a fan favourite and a player rival fans hate.” – Corey Pronman, The Athletic (from: “Pronman’s 2019 NHL Draft Board: Top 107 prospects” – The Athletic – May 21, 2019)

“Even though he’s not big, Grewe plays a power forward type game. He has a good shot, good puck-skills, good vision, and he’s a good skater. And most importantly, he works harder than most players on the ice. Currently, he’s able to combine that grinding power forward game with great offensive success at the junior level but it remains to be seen if he can do the same in the NHL. If he can, he could become a very valuable complementary top-six winger. But if he can’t, he can still have a very good career in the NHL as a bottom-six grinder.” – Jokke Nevalainen, DobberProspects

Strengths

  • Compete level
  • Physical play
  • Puck handling

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Discipline
  • Size
  • Skating

NHL Potential

Grewe may be right on the cusp of whether or not he’ll have what it takes to be a top-six player in the NHL. He needs to work on his skating and his discipline, but he has the tools in place to develop into that one day. For now, it seems like he’s more likely to be a middle-six forward.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 7/10, Defence – 8/10

Awards/Achievements

In the 2016-17 season, Grewe started turning heads with his play in the TV-Pucken tournament. He helped Stockholm Nord to a gold medal while being honoured as the top forward of the tournament. That season, he also had the most points in the J18Elit by a U16 player (28). Grewe has already made an impression at the international level. In 2017-18 he started making his mark internationally, winning a bronze medal at the U18s. In 2018-19, the bronze was improved to a gold medal, and he added a silver medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Memorial Cup.

Interview/Profile Links

Videos

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