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Filip Bystedt Scouting Report: 2022 NHL Draft #50

Filip bystedt Scouting Report

Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2022 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we bring you our Filip Bystedt Scouting Report.

Swedish centre Filip Bystedt had a strong draft season, impressing in the Swedish J20 league and on the international stage. Playing in the Linkoping HC system, Bystedt was one of the best players in the Swedish junior league. He put up 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points in 40 games for the J20 team. He also added one goal and nine assists for ten points in eight playoff games. Bystedt led the league in assists in both the regular season and playoffs. He also helped Linkoping to the J20 Championship. Bystedt also had some time in the J18 league. In two games he scored one goal and three points. He also earned an SHL call-up, though ice time was a bit hard to come by for the 17-year-0ld. In 15 games, Bystedt scored one goal and one assist.

Bystedt also impressed with the Swedish National Under-18 teams. He was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He scored three goals and four assists for seven points in five games. Bystedt also helped the Swedish team to win the gold medal at the IIHF Under-18s. He scored two goals and three points in six games.

Filip Bystedt Scouting Report

Center — shoots Left
Born February 4th, 2004 — Linkoping, Sweden
Height 6’3.75″ — Weight 204 lbs [192 cm/92 kg]

Skating

Bystedt is a very smooth skater. He has a very good stride, with a good knee bend and ankle flex. This gives him good speed as well as very good acceleration. He can change speeds, fooling defenders by quickly speeding up or by slowing down on the play. He also has excellent edge work and agility. Bystedt can weave through traffic both with and without the puck. He is able to move well laterally as well as to change directions quickly. Strong crossovers allow Bystedt to accelerate out of his turns. He is also strong on the puck, with good balance and strength. Bystedt wins his battles on the boards and in front of the net. He should continue to get better in these areas as he continues to mature.

Offensive Game

Bystedt uses his long reach and strong stickhandling ability to protect the puck and create offence. He is able to control the puck down low and wait for his linemates to get open. Once they do, Bystedt is able to hit his teammates with a pass. He is good at moving the puck quickly in the cycle game and getting open on the give-and-go to get the puck back. However, Bystedt does not attack the dirty areas of the ice enough. He seems content to play on the perimeter and try to make plays from there. With his size and skating ability, it would be nice to see him play a bit more of a power forward’s game.

Bystedt also has a good shot. His wrist shot, snap shot and one-timer all show decent power and accuracy. He also gets them all off with quick releases. This is another area where a willingness to drive the net and to play in the slot without the puck would lead to more scoring. Too many of his shots come from the outside and become easy saves for opposing goaltenders. He is good at using his size to win battles on the boards as well. The talent is here but something is missing. If Bystedt can attack the net more aggressively his offensive game would really take off.

Defensive Game

Bystedt plays a strong two-way game. He is willing to engage physically on the backcheck, defending against the cycle as well as supporting the defence down low. He also does a good job of clearing the front of the net. Bystedt uses his size to win battles on the boards in the defensive zone. He is a smart player and is strong positionally. Bystedt uses his long stick to cut down passing lanes. He is also not afraid to block shots. This is in great contrast to his offensive game where he could show a little more grit. Bystedt is quick to move the puck up the ice and start the transition game.

Projection and Comparison

Bystedt has all the skills one would want in a two-way centre. With his size, skating, vision and passing ability and a good shot, he could be a top-six centre if fully developed. However, there seems to be something missing here and he leaves one wanting more. Bystedt needs to abandon his perimeter game and drive to the dirty areas of the ice to take his game to the next level. He will likely spend next season with Linkopings in the SHL. He could also spend some time with the Swedish national team at the World Juniors in December. NHL teams will want to get him over to North America as soon as possible, to adjust to the smaller ice surface and play a grittier game. His style is reminiscent of Nikolai Antropov, but this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill and agility.

Highlights

The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Filip Bystedt that are available on youtube and Twitter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Sngs_btmM&list=PLOgBIUfkk2BOVq0UUNNUWNDLI9iH2mh-y

 

Check back tomorrow for our latest 2022 NHL Draft Article.

 

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