Oskar Magnusson
2019-20 Team: Malmo Redhawks / SHL
Date of Birth: Jan. 31, 2002
Place of Birth: Trelleborg, Sweden
Ht: 5-foot-10 Wt: 165 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Center/ Right Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2020 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 43rd (among EU Skaters)
- Larry Fisher’s Top 500 Final Rankings: 109th
- Andrew Forbes Top 217 for March: 153rd
- Future Considerations: 88th
When you are talking about an undersized forward with offensive upside like Oskar Magnusson, you never know what is going to happen on draft day. While teams are far more willing to take smaller players now than even five years ago, size is often a defining factor for where a player is drafted.
For Magnusson, size will be the focal point of the conversation surrounding his draft stock. At 5-foot-10, he is small but has enough offensive upside to justify him as a top-100 pick.
Related: 2020 NHL Draft Guide
In 38 games played in the Swedish SuperElit, the countries’ top junior hockey league, Magnusson posted 22 goals and 48 points. Given the level of competition he was facing, these are impressive scoring totals, especially for an 18-year-old. He also plays a surprisingly solid two-way game that can be built upon, meaning that he has more to contribute than just offense.
However, there are a few holes in Magnusson’s game, most notably his skating. If he is able to grow and improve upon those issues, then he has a real chance to be a steal of this draft.
Other THW Draft Profiles:
Oskar Magnusson – NHL Draft Projection
If you were judging Magnusson based on nothing other than his raw toolbox, then the talented forward would easily be an early to mid-third-round selection at the 2020 NHL Draft. However, when you take his size and skating into account, one could easily see him slipping down the board.
Due to this, it would not be shocking for Magnusson to fall as far as Round 4 of the draft. Even with that in mind, I can’t see him making it to Round 5, as there are plenty of teams who are willing to take a chance on a skilled, undersized forward.
Quotables
Magnusson’s size may be below average but his skill-set and all-around game is definitely above average.
Jokke Nevalainen – DobberProspects.com
Magnusson is a very smart player. He keeps his head up while carrying the puck and sees the ice extremely well. He anticipates where his teammates are headed and can find them with a pass through a tight passing lane.
Ben Kerr – lastwordonhockey.com
He is an extremely versatile forward who can play center or wing. A threat on both the power play and penalty kill for Malmö, he’s energetic as they come. His commitment on the forecheck is paralleled by his ability to track back and close down plays.
Eddy Jones – thehockeywriters.com
Strengths
- Great offensive potential
- High hockey IQ
- Solid two-way player for his size and build
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Undersized
- Skating is good but needs improvement
- Still developing an NHL-caliber shot
NHL Potential
If everything breaks right for Magnusson, he has the skillset to develop into a legitimate NHL-starter, with top-six potential. He could easily slot into a line-up as a scoring forward who can take on playing time both on the powerplay and the penalty kill.
However, if things don’t turn out perfectly, he could still be a valuable fringe NHLer. That sort of depth player who splits the season between the big club and the AHL, receiving the first call-up when injury strikes. Sure, that may not be a sexy role, but it’s an important one for any franchise.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 3/5, Reward – 5/5
Drafting small is always a risk, even if a player is talented. Due to this, if Magnusson is taken in the early third round, this could put expectations out of line for where he is right now. If he slides down the board to Round 4, then there is less risk, setting him in line to overperform for a franchise.
Related: THW 2020 Mock NHL Draft: We Pick the Top-15
No matter where he is selected, there is potential for Magnusson to become a top-six scoring winger. If he grows into that role, this selection could become a true hit, as every team would love to add more high-end scoring talent to their roster.