As move our way inside the top 10 here is our No. 9-ranked Blue Jackets prospect, Swedish winger Emil Bemstrom.
Reason for Ranking
Bemstrom was a fourth-round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2017. At the time of the selection Bemstrom was a big unknown, as he had had success in the SuperElit posting over a point per game, but only had five games of experience in the SHL. Bemstrom got more pro experience this season, playing 33 games for Leksands IF in the Allsvenskan, and his future is a little clearer.
We were all very much in agreement on Bemstrom’s ranking: Dan was the low end at No. 10, while Sam and I each had him at No. 9.
NHL Projection
Middle-six winger.
Bemstrom, like most prospects prior to him on this list, does a couple things well but doesn’t stand out in any one area – which limits his ceiling in the NHL. He’s a good skater but the most common word you see around Bemstrom is "shifty"; he has quick hands and can score from in tight with a good shot and strong release. For a player who is just 5-foot-10 and weighs 176 lbs., this is good to see.
He scored eight goals and seven assists in the Allsvenskan this past season. That is the sort of production I think you can expect from Bemstrom in the NHL. He could be a baseline 35-40 point winger who could have a couple big goal-scoring seasons if he gets some shooting percentage luck.
Best Case Scenario
If everything breaks right and Bemstrom takes a monster step forward in the SHL, it’s not hard to envision a top-line forward. He has a great shot and has shown the ability to score goals at a high level, and was one of just four players under the age of 20 to score at least eight goals in the Allsvenskan last season. He’s a sniper and could score 25-30 goals in the right situation with a strong playmaker on his line.
Strengths and Weaknesses
His elusiveness is his biggest strength. Bemstrom can evade his opponents and get himself into prime goal-scoring areas, where his shot plays to his advantage. He has that goal-scoring knack and while on the surface eight goals doesn’t jump off the page, doing that against professionals is significant. As is the case with most young players, Bemstrom needs to work on the defensive side of the game and needs to continue to work on his vision and playmaking abilities.
Bemstrom will get the chance to improve on those weaknesses and test his goal-scoring ways in the SHL next season. He will be suiting up for Djurgardens IF, and if he starts the season well, he will put himself in a great position to make Sweden’s World Junior team.
