In the third round, with the 73rd overall pick in the NHL Draft, the Devils selected defenseman Alexander Urbom from Djurgarden. Truth be told, he did play with Jacob Josefson with the senior team for a little bit, but Urbom split time between Djurgarden's under-20 team and the top team. Eliteprospects has his vitals, stats, and this helpful scouting report on the defender:
A big and strong player. Urbom is more of a stay-at-home defenseman that likes to play physical and usually has good timing in his hits. Positioning is good. Leads the team with his solid play in the defensive zone. Contributed offensively to some extent in the Swedish juniors, but is likely to become more of a shut-down guy. Offensive smarts and technical skills are fairly average.
Big, physical, defensive defenseman? Not bad. I think he'll be the first prospect for that role since Kirill Tulupov. I expect Urbom to remain in the SEL to develop further.
And in the fourth round, with the 114th overall pick, the Devils not only got a similar type of player but, dare I say it, a steal. The Devils selected defenseman Seth Helgeson from Sioux City on USHL. Scouts have been following him for a few years and CSS actually ranked him 41st overall among North American skaters. NHL.com even has a short profile on him with this quote from his coach, Todd Knott:
"Seth’s biggest asset is his 6’4", 220 pound frame; he moves well for a big guy and has a good skill set to go along with that. At the next level, Seth will have to learn how to play with an edge more consistently as he is just figuring out how to use his body to his advantage. He is a raw project, who has a huge upside because of his athleticism. He is a great teammate along with being a great citizen and role model in the community."
A good skater with size and skill. Plays what appears to be an almost effortless looking game. Very poised puck-moving defensemen who takes a simplistic approach. Very effective in his own zone. Good positioning and gets stick down to take away lanes. Effectively takes forwards wide and rubs them out. On the breakout, has a solid first pass. Will rarely lead the rush, rather he’ll move the puck up to the forwards and join in later. Has a good shot from the point. When he has the puck, he does a good job of protecting it in traffic and can effectively create space.
But in my opinion, the best overview for Helgeson was done by Western College Hockey Blog, which really has all the articles and info you'd like. It's really great well. Here's his projection on Helgeson:
Helgeson isn't a flashy or dynamic player and likely will never put up 40 points in the a season at the pro level, which is what will keep him out of the first round of the draft, but he does possess the ability to be a punishing physical presence that is reliable in his own zone. Helgeson would be a great pick for a team that picked up a very skilled offensive player in the first round, and is looking to add a solid defensive-minded bruiser in the second round.
Definitely not a bad pick this late, I think. Definitely not bad at all. Devils selected a two-way center and three defensemen - all three of which are definitely not small. Do you think they'll pick someone with more offensive talent in the next 3 rounds?