Ola Palme – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Ola Palme

2025-26 Team: Växjö Lakers HC U20 (Nationell)
Date of Birth: Feb. 09, 2008
Place of Birth: Stockholm, SWE
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 201 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

• NHL Central Scouting: 38th (among EU skaters)
• McKeen’s Hockey: 39th
• Tony Ferrari – THN: 75^th

There are always a number of players that are underrated and aren’t getting talked about enough, simply because they’re further down the rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Swedish defender Ola Palme definitely fits in the category as there needs to be more of a discussion on how effective he can really be. 

Palme has looked good at every level production wise. He had five points in four U18 Region games, four points in two games in the U18 Nationell and posted 14 points in 20 games in the U20 Nationell this season and another eight points in five playoff games. He played an important role for Sweden to help secure a gold medal at the World U18 Championship averaging 15:16 of ice time per game and had five points in seven games. He was one of the more composed and reliable defenders on the team and truly stood out in a positive way.

Palme’s game revolves around his smart two-way play, mobility and playmaking vision. His head is always scanning to make strong stretch plays on breakouts or creating a rush and carrying the play making clean exits and entries. He’s a very smooth and fluid skater and adds a level of deceptiveness with his feet and positioning. He walks the line well to get into shooting lanes but also displays the ability to make quick stutter steps and changes his direction on the attack. He’s calm under pressure and does a great job to protect the puck.

Offensively, Palme is a great playmaker from the backend as his production continues to take strides. He makes strong heads up plays with his crisp passing and does a great job to draw in defenders to open up seams and quickly distribute the puck when he sees that opening. He picks his spots to jump into the attack and makes great pinches to keep plays alive. Although he has a decent shot, I would like him to utilize it a bit more. Though, he’s proficient at getting pucks on net for deflections or rebound opportunities. When there is a shooting lane, he isn’t afraid to step up and take advantage of that opening. 

Defensively, Palme is as positionally sound and effective as they come. He defends the rush very well, showing great gap control and not giving up the middle of the ice easily. He shows great one-on-one coverage, making life difficult in front of the net. Much like his offensive tendencies, he doesn’t get out of position or put others in a bad spot defensively. He can get into lanes very well and does a great job to break up plays. 

Other THW Draft Profiles

• Mans Gudmundsson
• William Håkansson
• Axel Elofsson

Ola Palme – NHL Draft Projection

Not many had Palme on their radars, but after the World U18 Championship, he’s definitely a player that should be getting some more attention as a mid-round selection. He’s overshadowed because of his positioning and may not have offensive projection as other defenders in this draft have but he does have value as a mobile and defensive minded defender. He could be a great pick up as potentially a third-rounder.

Quotables

“He may not have produced eye-catching numbers, but his decision making and positional awareness made NHL scouts take notice. Defensively, Palme is calm under swirling pressure and makes smart reads look easy. He consistently stayed between his man and the net, used his stick effectively to force hurried decisions and rarely put himself in risky positions.” – Neutral Zone 

“He’s a smart and smooth skater with great mobility as a two-way defender, showing great composure on both sides of the puck. He was effective on breakouts and in transition and did a great job to find the shooting lanes in the offensive zone. Even when Sweden lost 9-1 against Team USA, I thought he was one of their better defenders.” – Peter Baracchini, The Hockey Writers 

Strengths 

• Strong defensive presence and awareness
• Great gap control and rush defender
• Poise and confidence under pressure
• Crisp breakout passer and transitional play
• Mobile and fluid skater

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

• Be more confident with his shooting
• Can offensive production take another step forward?
• Physicality can improve given his size

NHL Potential

Palme projects to be a second pairing defender that can play in a variety of situations. He’s steady at five-on-five and has the defensive presence to kill penalties and defend leads. While he may not see time on the power play, he could be an effective asset as an anchor on a second unit. He really does have the makings to be a steady mobile defender given where the game is heading. 

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 2/5, Reward 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 5/10, Defense 7.5/10

Awards/ Achievements

Palme won a gold medal for Sweden at the World U18 Championship. He also won a silver medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Ola Palme Stats

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