Tonight, the 2023 NHL Draft is taking place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Then the record for the number of Swedes drafted in the first round could be touched.
Leo Carlsson is expected to finish third.
When the NHL Draft takes place tonight at the Nashville Predators, Swedish hockey history can be written.
Then the record for the number of Swedes drafted in the first round can be touched, since seven Swedes are expected to be drafted.
The Swede who will take first place is Leo Carlsson, who will be recruited in third place. Then, Axel Sanden-Belica was pushed away and Tom Wilander was placed fifth-eighth.
Then there is also talk that Otto Steinberg, David Edstrom, Theo Lindstein and Anton Wahlberg will be drafted in the first round.
The talents expected to be drafted first and second are Canadians Conor Bedard and Adam Fantelli.
Record from 2009
The record for the number of Swedes drafted in the first round is from 2009, when seven Swedes were drafted.
Then the players in question were Viktor Hedmann (2nd), Oliver Ekman-Larson (6th draft pick), Magnus Bjarvi (10th), David Rundblad (drafted as 17th), Jacob Josefsson (20th), Tim Erickson (23rd) and Markus Johansson (24).
Marcus Johansson, Oliver Ekman-Larson, and Victor Hedman are the players who, among the seven, have played more than 800 NHL games today.
Since 2009, six Swedes have been drafted in the first round on three occasions – in 2011, 2018 and 2021.
