Who is Axel Blomqvist?
Axel Blomqvist is an 18 year old Swede who was born in Osby, Sweden. Blomqvist is a left handed shooter who is on the larger side for forwards. Blomqvist stands 6 foot 5 inches while weighing in at 194 lbs. At this height, there are only twenty NHL players who surpass this height. Of those twenty, only 8 are forwards, making Blomqvist one of the largest bodies in the NHL should he ever make it that far. Axel also has two older brothers who play hockey. Anton Blomqvist who was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets as well as Albin Blomqvist, who plays on the Lethbridge Hurricanes with Axel.
From 2009 to 2012, Axel spent most of is time in the Swedish juniors, playing for Rogle as wel as his hometown team, Osby. In 2012 Axel was drafted by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 1st round, #17 overall in the CHL draft. During his one WHL season, Axelscored seven goals and put up 26 points. He also had a rather large amount of penalty minutes at 66 PIM. Axel Blomqvist is ranked #163 for North American skaters.Not the most potent offensively, but he still stands out from the average WHL player. Below are Axel's lifetime stats.
What Experts Have Said About Blomqvist
Zenon Harasymiuk, Future Considerations: "His biggest asset is his gigantic frame, he is willing and able to throw the body around and isn't afraid to mix things up in the high traffic areas of the ice. With his mix of size and smarts, Blomqvist could be a sleeper for the 2013 NHL Draft."
Rich Preston, Lethbridge Hurricanes GM: "I've seen some of tape of Axel. He's a really good skater for that size and at 16 years old. The Swedish Under 18 Elite League mostly consists of 94 born players. I looked at it the other day, Axel was the 2nd or 3rd leading scorer among 95 born players in that league last season."
Some Video
Axel Blomqvist fights Travis Brown (10/24/12)
Another fight, this time versus Tyler Yaworski (11/18/12)
An Opinion
Blomqvist will most likely go in the 6th round at some point. While he is only somewhat skilled at offense, his size is a very attractive asset for some GM's. He obviously needs some time to develop in the WHL and eventually the AHL. If he learns to use his size, he could become a decent power forward. I'm not sure I would want the Devils to take him in the sixth round, but who knows, the Devils don't have a lot of large bodied forwards.
Your Take
I'd like to know your take on Axel as a prospect given all that you read. Perhaps you know more. Did you see him play? Do you know more about what his strengths and weaknesses may be? If so, please feel free to share it with the rest of us so we all can learn more. Otherwise, please leave your thoughts about Axel as a prospect and the (remote) possibility of the Devils picking him in the comments. Thank you for reading.