Welcome to your 2025 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters right here at Last Word On Sports and Top Shelf Prospects. We have you covered with everything you will need to be ready for the big event. This year’s draft is set to take place on June 27th and 28th, live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Today, we bring you our Eric Nilson Scouting Report.
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Eric Nilson is quietly one of the most all-around players in this draft. Eric doesn’t really have any glaring weaknesses; however, he’s also not elite in any of his skills. A fluid skater with outstanding hockey IQ, Nilson plays with pace, purpose, and a level of situational awareness that’s rare for his age. He’s extremely versatile, logging big minutes at even strength and on both special teams. While he doesn’t have the high-end skills of a top 10 player, Nilson’s completeness allows him to project as a bottom-nine to middle-six centre.
Eric Nilson Scouting Report: 2025 NHL Draft #32
Centre – Shoots Right
Born May 11, 2007 – Calgary, AB, CAN
Nationality: Sweden/Canada
Height 6’0″ – Weight 165lbs [183cm|75kg]
“It’s really fun to have a lot of Djurgårdens guys (here).”
The son of @AlumniFlames Marcus Nilson, Eric, discusses his NHL Combine experience and his development in Sweden! pic.twitter.com/4LQgRpM3Hu
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 4, 2025
Offence
Nilson isn’t a flashy player, but rather an intelligent one. He handles the puck with poise, rarely forcing plays, and has a strong sense for how to slow the game down. He excels at keeping play alive with his intelligence and puck-moving abilities. Specifically, Eric displays strong touch passes in tight spaces, especially in the slot, enhancing his creativity and vision. When not handing off, Nilson can shoot the puck hard and accurately with a quick release. His hands and skating are also standout attributes that he uses to successfully protect the puck.
This season, Nilson played for Djurgårdens IF at the J18 Regional, J18 National, and J20 National levels. He achieved over a point per game in all three leagues, most notably scoring 38 points in 37 games in J20. During the postseason, Eric stepped it up a notch, putting up 30 points in 17 games. With how important playoff scoring is in the NHL currently, this should help his draft stock tremendously. He also got into four games for Djurgårdens IF in the HockeyAllsvenskan pro-league. This showed his ability play agaisnt men and most certainly aided his development.
Swedish prospect Eric Nilson is flying under the radar a bit when it comes to draft buzz, but I don’t think that will last long
The son of former NHLer Marcus Nilson is a smart, two-way center who plays at a high pace. He’s not a major point producer, but does have some chops: pic.twitter.com/ufHGPWRDPL
— Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) January 8, 2025
Defence
Defensively, Nilson may be one of the more polished centres in the draft. He reads the game quickly, supporting deep in his own end without overcommitting, and his tracks through the neutral zone are effective. He’s a coach’s dream in that he can be trusted in all facets of the game. In all of power-play, penalty kill, up in the line-up, and down in the lineup, Nilson will be effective and give you 100%.
Additionally, coaches and GMs will love that Nilson never shies away from contact, willingly absorbing hits to make plays and initiating physical battles when needed. He’s effective in the faceoff dot and maintains structural positioning when defending his zone. Scouts love Eric’s motor, as it’s one of the most relentless in this draft class. Whether it’s tracking through the middle or making second efforts on the forecheck, Nilson plays the kind of mature, detail-oriented game that’s hard to ignore.
Comparisons and Projection
The two players that come to mind when watching Nilson are Mikael Backlund (Calgary Flames) and Jake Evans (Montreal Canadiens). All three play a mature, two-way game with strong instincts and defensive responsibility. Nilson could carve out a long NHL career through versatility and smarts, even if the offensive ceiling isn’t elite. In terms of production, Nilson could end up somewhere in the middle of these two, around the 40-point mark.
Overall, Nilson projects as a reliable two-way centre that can play up and down the lineup, and on all special teams. While he may never be a dynamic producer at the NHL level, his hockey IQ, skating, and work ethic give him a strong foundation to build around. Nilson needs to continue building muscle and filling out if he hopes to make the jump in the near future. A team in the 20-50 range will be very happy to get a future second or third-line centre in Eric Nilson.
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
