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Canucks Select Swedish Defenceman Anton Cederholm in Round Five

Thomas Drance
10 years ago
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The Canucks are pulling some value late in Sunday’s draft, adding another intriguing player in big Swedish defenceman Anton Cederholm. Cederholm was the 25th ranked international skater by Central Scouting, and 90th overall on Corey Pronman’s draft board. Cederholm spent the season splitting time in Sweden between Rogle’s youth team while also getting into twelve games in Sweden’s top mens league.
Read past the jump for more.
Cederholm is known as a big, mobile defenceman with solid puck skills but limited offensive ability. Pronman laid out his skill set as such:
Cederholm is not the type of prospect who puts up gaudy counting numbers as he does not possess notable offensive skill, but he is a big, mobile defenseman who processes the game at a desirable level. He keeps the play in front of him due to very good defensive positioning with his body and stick. His above-average skating allows him to get back well. He shows good ability to pivot and skate backwards in such a manner to stay with quick forwards. He knows how to take his assignments, and he will use his body to bump them off of pucks. He is well developed physically for a U18, measuring at 6’2" and 204 pounds. His puck skills are limited, but he will make a fine first pass out of his zone. He relies on better puck movers to get it through the neutral zone. He will flash a moderate breakout pass, because his hockey sense allows him to see those lanes open, but in general he prefers a conservative style.
Interestingly, as an eighteen year old international player, Cederholm furthers the long observed trend of the Canucks picking prospects whom they’ll have four years to make a decision on signing. On the other hand he’s the fifth eighteen year old selected by the Canucks this season, and the fourth guy born in 1995 (Shinkaruk is an October, 1994 birthday). It looks like whatever angle the Canucks were playing at in focussing so heavily on older players at previous drafts has been left behind…

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