Oilers select defenceman Albin Sundin 183rd overall at the NHL Draft
By Cam Lewis
2 days agoWith their first of two selections in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers took defenceman Albin Sundin.
The Oilers acquired this pick from the Nashville Predators last year as part of the Mattias Ekholm trade and they used it to add an intriguing Swedish defenceman to their system.
Listed at 6’2″ and 198 pounds, Sundin is described as a two-way defenceman who is “adept at using timing and the poke check to break up attacks, and can play a physical game at times,” by Erik K. Piri of Elite Prospects. He’s a right-handed shot and will turn 20 years old in August.
Sundin has spent the last three seasons playing for Frölunda HC, a club based in Gothenburg. In 2023-24, he scored four goals and 17 points in 41 games with their U20 team and recorded one assist over 18 games for their top team at the SHL level. He also scored three points in four playoff games with the U20 team and recorded one goal and one assist in 14 games in the SHL playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs invited Sundin to their development camp last summer, which promoted many questions about whether he was related to Hall of Famer Mats Sundin. There’s no relation to the former Leafs star, but Albin Sundin’s father Ronnie Sundin is the all-time leader in games played for Frölunda HC. He also spent one season in the NHL in 1997-98 with the New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.
Leafs assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser ran the team’s development camp and mentioned Sundin as someone who was impressive.
All of these players have come into development camp over the years and impressed. But was there a player this season, who went under the radar, impressing Wickenheiser and the rest of the Maple Leafs’ staff?Yes, and his name is Albin Sundin, with Wickenheiser saying: “We’ve all liked” the 18-year-old.“He’s playing in the SHL. A big, strong defender, moves pretty well,” she said. “He’s very fit, physically fit. His challenge is the speed, matching speed, and being able to defend at the next levels. But he’s a guy that’s come in that’s been impressive.”
Albin Sundin Career Statistics
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