Rd 1, Pick 16: Noah Östlund (C)

[Norcal]

3 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

From a preseason game for his SHL team?

 

[Norcal]

 

[LGR4GM]

[Flashsabre]

People love the Savoie pick. People love the Kulich pick. Östlund gets somewhat overlooked but I think in a couple years he might be a hell of a player.

At the U18s Ohgren Östlund And Lekkermaki were dynamite for Sweden

Sweden took Ohgren and Lekkermaki to the summer U20s but not Östlund. The two looked lost without their pivot. Laine and Pulj got all the love on that Finnish line but it was Aho that was the glue. Fingers crossed that we have found an Aho.

Encouraged by the goal scoring in the pro games as he is known for his playmaking.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Flashsabre

[LGR4GM]

 

[K-9]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

 

I had to watch that twice to fully appreciate what he did there. 

[LGR4GM]

Östlund has been on line 1 while Lekkerimaki is playing in the bottom 6 during what is basically preseason. 

[Flashsabre]

If they can send pasta and chicken wings over to Sweden to bulk him up I think the Sabres have a really intriguing player on their hands. Lekkermaki has the sniper’s shot but I think Östlund brings a much more complete game and being a natural centre is a big bonus too.  I think he has the highest upside of the Ohgren Östlund Lekkermaki line.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

If they can send pasta and chicken wings over to Sweden to bulk him up I think the Sabres have a really intriguing player on their hands. Lekkermaki has the sniper’s shot but I think Östlund brings a much more complete game and being a natural centre is a big bonus too.  I think he has the highest upside of the Ohgren Östlund Lekkermaki line.

I’m still sticking with my original Larionov upside comparison, but Sweden has a long history of smart, complete centres like your Lindholms and Zetterbergs and going way back to pioneers like Patrick Sundstrom and Thomas Gradin.

He's a bit under the radar due to the Sabres volume of prospects, but I have high hopes for this kid.

Edited September 9, 2022 by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

Is Östlund grows 1" (I really just need him to be 5'11") and adds about 30lbs, there is some incredible talent hidden there. 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by LGR4GM

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Is Östlund grows 1" (I really just need him to be 5'11") and adds about 30lbs, there is some incredible talent hidden there. 

 

Would love to see him feeding the puck to Rosen for years and filling the back of the net 

[5th line wingnutt]

https://theathletic.com/3578116/2022/09/22/sabres-prospect-noah-Östlund-the-gifted/

[LGR4GM]

I am starting to think that Östlund was the key to the Lekkerimaki Östlund Ohgren line

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, 5th line wingnutt said:

https://theathletic.com/3578116/2022/09/22/sabres-prospect-noah-Östlund-the-gifted/

Fantastic piece.

Really showcases what I like about this kid: smarter than everyone else with the hands to execute.

[Flashsabre]

53 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Fantastic piece.

Really showcases what I like about this kid: smarter than everyone else with the hands to execute.

And feet too. Kid can fly.

in the draft video Adams mentioned that someone he trusts from Sweden said that Östlund is the highest character kid he had seen in the past 30 years.  I think Östlund is about twenty pounds away from becoming an impact pro player.

[bob_sauve28]

Is he not coming to this camp at all? 

[LGR4GM]

25 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Is he not coming to this camp at all? 

He is in Sweden about to start his Allsveskan season with Djurgardens

[Flashsabre]

24 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Is he not coming to this camp at all? 

The Euro players playing in European leagues and the college players don’t come to main camp.

[Derrico]

I’m really looking forward to seeing him in buff in a couple of years.  Unpopular pick at the time as it was said to be a reach but this scouting staff deserves the benefit of the doubt.  Early videos and analysis I’ve seen point to a guy that could be a great second line C down the road who can hopefully have the smarts and skill to play up and down the lineup where needed.

[JustOneParade]

On 9/22/2022 at 2:19 PM, LGR4GM said:

He is in Sweden about to start his Allsveskan season with Djurgardens

No knowledge of the Swedish leagues. Is that in the SHL (where we can now watch on ESPN+)?

[French Collection]

31 minutes ago, JustOneParade said:

No knowledge of the Swedish leagues. Is that in the SHL (where we can now watch on ESPN+)?

They are in Division 2 this year, so I doubt you get that game.

[Brawndo]

He was centering the Top Line yesterday. Had 5 SOG and 19:41 in TOI

[Taro T]

10 hours ago, Derrico said:

I’m really looking forward to seeing him in buff in a couple of years.  Unpopular pick at the time as it was said to be a reach but this scouting staff deserves the benefit of the doubt.  Early videos and analysis I’ve seen point to a guy that could be a great second line C down the road who can hopefully have the smarts and skill to play up and down the lineup where needed.

Not nearly as unpopular as the Rosen pick was.  THAT one might work out OK.  Feeling pretty confident that Östlund will work out.

[LGR4GM]

10 hours ago, JustOneParade said:

No knowledge of the Swedish leagues. Is that in the SHL (where we can now watch on ESPN+)?

The Allsvenskan is the league below the SHL. Östlund saw his SHL team relegated last season. 

Good news is that's the league and level he probably needs. 

[Flashsabre]

56 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Not nearly as unpopular as the Rosen pick was.  THAT one might work out OK.  Feeling pretty confident that Östlund will work out.

Sometimes unpopular picks at the time (Josh Allen, Jack Quinn) work out just fine.😀 

I think Rosen is in the best hands to develop. His speed and hands should help him carve out a nice career. Might take a year in Rochester before we see results but he will come along.

I am super high on Östlund. He has elite traits and if he can fill out his frame he has a chance to be a very good player.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Flashsabre