Nation Network Prospect Profiles: #26 Joel Eriksson Ek

Skating (Speed/edges/technique/etc)

It’s hard to find flaws in his game but if you want to name one, skating would be an often mentioned word. He isn’t known for great speed and his acceleration still has room for improvement. But he showed progress in both areas through the course of the year and he already possesses a good balance on his skates.

Shooting (Slap/wrist/backhand, General strength, proclivities, etc)

Eriksson Ek’s shot is very powerful and accurate, especially his wrist shot which is a good weapon. He likes to shoot from all angles and positions himself in front of the net to deflect the puck.

Puck Skills

He might not be the best puckhandler and shows some puck control issues when carrying the puck at full speed. But this is nitpicking as he usually protects the puck very well and makes it extremely hard for the defenders to knock him off the puck.

Smarts (vision, defensive play, ability to stick in system, etc.)

Joel is very competitive in all three zones. He shows great defensive responsibility and isn’t afraid to back check deep in his own zone to create turnovers and take away the puck from the opponent. Offensively he drives the net hard and makes life hard for each defender. Likes to get his nose dirty and does all for the win in each shift.

Physicality

He is a gritty forward who has good size and powerful legs, which he uses very well to win corner battles, is hard to knock off the puck and drives the net with a lot of power and willingness. He is a “in the face player” who tries to gets under the skin of opponents in every shift and is present during after whistle scrums.

General Assessment

Big two-way center who works very hard in all three zones and has great work ethic. Together with his good shot and decent scoring skills he shows a good competitive level and willingness to do everything for the win. He might not have the high-end scoring skills to center a first line but can be a very effective player on 2nd or 3rd line. He played in over 30 games this season in the highest Swedish league and is fitting into a North American style of game. With Datsyuk and Zetterberg getting older, Detroit might have a very close look on him. Expect him to be drafted in the back end of the first round, making him a Tier III draft prospect.

He is a well-balanced centre who can play in any situation.
He’s an intelligent player who reads the play quickly, taking advantage both
offensively and defensively. Good skills and is comfortable playing in any
style of game and has a strong competitive approach. Maturity will be longer
but potential is high.

Strong competing centre who plays solid in all zones. A
player who at an earlier juncture projected as a low-end roster player who is
strong in the dot and very responsible defensively. He is smart and comes to
win every night. It isn’t like he is a deft speedster;but he most certainly
continues to improve his feet and continue on the uptick as a smart
strong-on-the-puck player who reads the situations and knows when to continue
carrying and when to find the teammate with a pass. He needs more strength but
is strong in traffic and creates space on the attack. He supports well
defensively and always instinctively position himself well. He will continue to
fill his gangly body out and get even stronger than he already is. There are
glimpses of strong offensive instincts that may flourish as he fills out
physically. Already creates space and excels in the dot.A long term player who
some team will take a chance on.

A very competitive center who uses his size, skill, and
skating to power to the net and create scoring chances. Possesses an
elite-level shot, great vision, and slick puckhandling skills; as a result,
it’s no surprise that he has a natural knack for scoring big goals. Offensive
catalyst, but also defensively responsible. Plays a creative, 200-foot game.
All-in-all, an intelligent, scoring center that is productive at both ends of
the ice.

… I wouldn’t classify him as a dominant player, but whether
he’s playing in front of the net on the power play, creating from the side
boards, killing off penalties, checking good players, taking a key draw, or
being the extra man when the team needs a goal, coaches always can rely on
Eriksson. His puck skills are solid, and his skating is about average, with his
straight-line speed being stronger than his edges and bursts.

Despite a glowing report from EliteProspects, it doesn’t sound as if Eriksson Ek’s offensive ceiling is that high, and PCS doesn’t exactly like him either. In terms of comparables, Alex Steen and former Florida Panther/Calgary Flame Marcus Nilson are there, but there’s really no one else. A lot of the buzz around Eriksson Ek seems to stem from a very strong World U-18 tournament in which he led the disappointing Swedes with 5G 1A in 5G, and we all know that evaluating a player on a 5-game sample is foolish at best, so he seems like a bit of a reach at 23rd especially given the other players that should be on the board at the time.
This isn’t to say that Eriksson Ek isn’t a good prospect, but based on the guys that have done what he has in Sweden at his age, you’re reasonably looking for a player that can contribute quality third line minutes on a good team if you draft him.