Hugo Zetterlund
2023-24 Team: Skellefteå AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)
Date of Birth: July 26, 2006
Place of Birth: Skellefteå, Sweden
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 181 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Winger
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 110th (among International Skaters)
- Peter Baracchini’s June Rankings: 116th
Right-shot winger Hugo Zetterlund already knows how to do one thing at the NHL level: shoot the puck. When with possession, he’s got a quick-fire wrist shot that he loves to throw on net with accuracy. When without it, he’s a rover in the offensive zone, sneaking around defensemen to find open space for his teammates to find him. His one-timer is legit, too, being able to fire the puck right as it touches his stick with accuracy.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
There is one major drawback to his shot, though, and it’s that he probably uses it too much. When he’s got the puck, he often sacrifices any play that could be had in favor of just getting the puck on net. Sometimes, that means he throws a muffin on net and stymies his team from making any further chances. Sometimes, it means that he completely ignores a wide-open pass option in favor of a low-danger scoring chance from his own stick. His offensive awareness without the puck is rock-solid, being an annoyance on the forecheck and being able to find open space with ease, but it lacks when he gets the puck on his stick.
His skating as a whole is generally fine, with the exception of his top speed. His first step is pretty quick and he uses his low center of gravity to shift weight easily, but past that, there is a lot to be desired. This comes particularly detrimental on the backcheck, where he struggles to make an impact because he cannot catch up to the opposition. Naturally, as with many of the draft eligibles, his defensive game isn’t there quite yet as a whole, but his offensive tools are projectable at the NHL level.
Hugo Zetterlund – NHL Draft Projection
Not many scouts have Zetterlund ranked in the first four rounds, but I could certainly see him getting selected a bit sooner than that. His shot is legit, and for his relatively small 5-foot-11 frame, he’s put on NHL-level weight. His top speed and defensive game are his biggest drawbacks, so for that, I can’t anticipate he’ll be drafted earlier than the third round, but his toolkit should be enticing enough for a team to take a flier on him anywhere from the third to fifth rounds.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Strengths
- NHL-ready wrist shot
- Good first step
- Solid edgework
- Hard-working off the puck
- Sturdy frame for his height
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
- Needs to improve top speed
- Regularly shoots at inopportune times rather than passing to open teammates
- Awareness when in possession of the puck is weak
- Defensive game needs to drastically improve
NHL Potential
If Zetterlund ever makes it to the NHL by proxy of his goal-scoring talent, it will be as a bottom-six winger. He has good awareness when he’s without the puck, but struggles to do much other than shoot when in possession of it. In that regard, he reminds me a bit of Kirill Marchenko, though I think he has significantly less upside. At his peak, I could see Zetterlund as a 15-goal scorer in the NHL while playing third-line minutes. I don’t think he projects to have any special teams time regularly, but he could be a filler for injury on a second power-play unit.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk: 3/5, Reward 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 6/10, Defense: 3/10
Awards/Achievements
In 2022-23, Zetterlund led the J18 Nationell in both goals (23) and total points (36). The following season, he helped his team to a gold medal in the J20 league.
Hugo Zetterlund Stats
Videos
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