It is finally one of the most anticipated days of the year amongst hockey fans: draft day. Tonight at 5:00 PM MT, the first round of the NHL draft will begin, leaving teams to select key pieces for their future. The Calgary Flames hold an important pick just outside the top five at 6th overall. Throughout the week, we’ve gone over four possible options the Flames may consider at the crucial pick, and we have one more remaining. We’ve broken down the games of Keaton Verhoeff, Alberts Smits, Tynan Lawrence, and Carson Carels, leaving Viggo Björck as our last prospect to take a look at.
Getting to know Viggo Björck
Player Info
| Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre / Right Wing | Right | 5’9″ | 181lbs | Sweden |
Draft Year Production
| League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHL | Djurgardens IF | 42 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 0.36 |
It wouldn’t be surprising if many people reading this had heard the name Viggo Björck before the year began. For the past couple of seasons before this one, Björck was lighting up the U18 and U20 levels of Sweden. He was so dominant that there was a good chunk of time where this draft was acclaimed as the McKenna/Björck draft. Now, looking at this prior year, Björck put up a great campaign in the SHL for a draft-eligible prospect. Sure, he didn’t completely dominate like the lower levels, but six goals and 15 points aren’t too shabby for a player who was mainly 17-years-old for the season.
Another reason why Björck’s stock is so high is his performance at multiple international tournaments. He was invited to suit up for Sweden at the World Juniors, where he produced a fantastic nine points in seven games while helping his country to gold. Then, when the playoffs had finished for Björck, he joined Sweden at the World Championship. Despite there being a good amount of developed pro players, Björck was given reps as Sweden’s first-line centre, with his performance receiving praise from Sidney Crosby. Björck finished the tournament with a solid six points in eight games as Sweden fell to Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
The appeal of Björck
Work ethic and hockey IQ
There is a lot to love about Björck. I’ll start with the work ethic and intelligence that he brings to the ice. Björck never, and I mean never, takes a shift off. He constantly has his feet moving, scanning, and engaging to develop the most efficient way possible for him to make an impact. Björck is a monster in applying pressure, staying on top of puck carriers, fighting alongside the boards, or battling for his position. If it looks like Björck is checked out and his feet aren’t moving, it’s probably because he’s patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce on whatever play he’s seeing in his head.
Björck’s constant situational awareness allows him to make something out of nothing and start to develop opportunities for his team. In the transition, Björck puts in an incredible effort to always gain a position that will create some sort of threat, whether it be a dangerous offensive chance or forcing a turnover off the rush. Björck is always moving with the intention to generate open space, and he does it pretty subtly. Whether it’s for himself or his teammate, Björck can draw defenders and make openings which he either attacks with a drive towards the net or a beautiful feed.
Pace and offensive skills
Although some may not agree, I find Björck to be a very quick skater. Maybe it’s just the determination he has at any given moment, but man, can he blast down the ice at times. Constantly vibrating and looking to pounce on loose pucks, when he gets the opportunity to launch, he’s gone. Shot down the ice, Björck moves swiftly after catching an opponent off guard, leading to a breakaway or a chance with poor defensive coverage. In the zone, Björck can cycle with efficiency, making intelligent reads instantly and executing them perfectly.
He also has a quick and shifty set of hands that allow him to move around defenders and fake goalies out. Not to mention, he’s astonishingly strong on his feet. 5’9″, 180lbs – should be easy to knock off the puck, right? Not if it’s Viggo Björck. When pressure is applied, Björck knows how to use his fire hydrant strength to ward off opponents while still being able to make quick cuts or distribute the puck. The simpler traits of an offensive skillset are there with Björck, too. He’s a very efficient passer, consistently making the correct pass and flashing some beautiful feeds as well. While the shot maybe doesn’t show up as often, it’s still pretty dangerous. When Björck is able to release the puck off his stick perfectly, he can absolutely wire one past the goalie.
The projection
I believe that Björck has one of the best projections of the entire draft class. In my opinion, outside of McKenna and Stenberg, Björck has the highest ceiling of any forward. If everything completely clicks with Björck, I think you’re looking at an elite 1C on a contending team. Now, as much as I love Björck, I wouldn’t call that the most realistic outcome. However, I do think Björck likely still projects as a top-line quality player, and I have a very hard time seeing him not being able to hold down a top-six role.
The cons of drafting Björck
In all honesty, the only issue I can see with drafting Björck is the size. Unfortunately, 5’9″ and 180lbs just isn’t your typical build for an NHL centre. Despite his strong performance at the position in the SHL and international tournaments, I can understand if you have worries. Also, I get if you want size in the Flames system, especially at centre. Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter aren’t the biggest guys in the world. However, the good thing is that Björck doesn’t look small on the ice. The way he protects the puck and engages in dirtier play makes him look much bigger than he actually is. Regardless, Björck growing a few inches would make his projectability as a centre almost, if not a guarantee.
Should the Flames draft Björck?
When it is time for the Calgary Flames to make their pick at 6th overall, if the name announced is Viggo Björck, I will be very, very happy. Björck is by far one of my favourite prospects in this entire draft class. He is so incredibly fun to watch and has every skill you could ask for. The never-ending motor guarantees he’s going to be out there, shift in and shift out, making an impact. You can trust him in the defensive and offensive ends to wow you with whatever play his brain is developing. And the puck protection he displays at his size is special.
Björck is the type of prospect you look back on in only a year and go, “How did we let him fall that far?” The defence of the Flames seems to constantly be improving, and now they just need to start searching for improvements up front. Viggo Björck would be an amazing addition to that search and certainly bolster the future of the Flames.