2009 NHL Draft: NJ Devils Select Alexander Urbom and Seth Helgeson

by John Fischer on Jun 27, 2009 12:13 PM EDT in Prospects - Devils & Otherwise Comment 5 comments

In the third round, with the 73rd overall pick in the NHL Draft, the Devils selected defenseman Alexander Urbom from Djurgarden. Truth be told, he did play with Jacob Josefson with the senior team for a little bit, but Urbom split time between Djurgarden's under-20 team and the top team. Eliteprospects has his vitals, stats, and this helpful scouting report on the defender:

A big and strong player. Urbom is more of a stay-at-home defenseman that likes to play physical and usually has good timing in his hits. Positioning is good. Leads the team with his solid play in the defensive zone. Contributed offensively to some extent in the Swedish juniors, but is likely to become more of a shut-down guy. Offensive smarts and technical skills are fairly average.

Big, physical, defensive defenseman? Not bad. I think he'll be the first prospect for that role since Kirill Tulupov. I expect Urbom to remain in the SEL to develop further.

And in the fourth round, with the 114th overall pick, the Devils not only got a similar type of player but, dare I say it, a steal. The Devils selected defenseman Seth Helgeson from Sioux City on USHL. Scouts have been following him for a few years and CSS actually ranked him 41st overall among North American skaters. NHL.com even has a short profile on him with this quote from his coach, Todd Knott:

"Seth’s biggest asset is his 6’4", 220 pound frame; he moves well for a big guy and has a good skill set to go along with that. At the next level, Seth will have to learn how to play with an edge more consistently as he is just figuring out how to use his body to his advantage. He is a raw project, who has a huge upside because of his athleticism. He is a great teammate along with being a great citizen and role model in the community."

Hockey's Future's talent analysis on Helgeson confirms that projections that he is a defensive defenseman:

A good skater with size and skill. Plays what appears to be an almost effortless looking game. Very poised puck-moving defensemen who takes a simplistic approach. Very effective in his own zone. Good positioning and gets stick down to take away lanes. Effectively takes forwards wide and rubs them out. On the breakout, has a solid first pass. Will rarely lead the rush, rather he’ll move the puck up to the forwards and join in later. Has a good shot from the point. When he has the puck, he does a good job of protecting it in traffic and can effectively create space.

But in my opinion, the best overview for Helgeson was done by Western College Hockey Blog, which really has all the articles and info you'd like. It's really great well. Here's his projection on Helgeson:

Helgeson isn't a flashy or dynamic player and likely will never put up 40 points in the a season at the pro level, which is what will keep him out of the first round of the draft, but he does possess the ability to be a punishing physical presence that is reliable in his own zone. Helgeson would be a great pick for a team that picked up a very skilled offensive player in the first round, and is looking to add a solid defensive-minded bruiser in the second round.

Definitely not a bad pick this late, I think. Definitely not bad at all. Devils selected a two-way center and three defensemen - all three of which are definitely not small. Do you think they'll pick someone with more offensive talent in the next 3 rounds?

0 recs | Comment 5 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Urbom scouting report

Hey man, long time no speak. Anyway, here is some additional info from Mckeen’s. I will be cancelling my account with them after this because they are abysmal. No reports whatsoever on the first two picks and this one is three-plus years old. Plus, lovly spelling and grammar.

“04/01/2006 – (u16) an adequate skater for a big man .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. still needs to develop a smoother stride but his acceleration is acceptable thanks to a powerful stride .. adequate first-step quickness .. decent turns .. could upgrade on his lateral movement .. adequate puckhandling skills .. shows some problems when having to deal with difficult passes .. is at his best when playing a simple game with the puck .. unleashes a solid hard slap shot but should make it less telegraphed .. makes his size to his advantage and is willing to throw good hits but is inconsistent in his physical assertiveness .. tends to loose position when hitting .. decent crease-clearer .. an okay force in his own zone with decent positional play .. isn’t very effective on powerplay units as he doesn’t have the vision to quarterback them .. lacks the offensive vision needed to emerge as a two-way force and sticks to a defensive style .. passing accuracy should be further improved .. a late ’90 born defenseman. "

by Trendon on Jun 27, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nothing on Josefson or Gelinas? Lame. Doesn’t matter, there’s plenty out there as-is. And I’m loving this three year old scouting report. The considerably more up to date one by Elite propsects at least responds to that issue with “inconsistent in physical assertiveness” by stating he likes to play physical.

Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog

by John Fischer on Jun 27, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I cant believe Rivals is this bad

if I were still blogging, I’d pay for Red Line Report

by Trendon on Jun 27, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Helgeson Report

4/17/2008 – Advanced 17-year-old defenseman .. backwards skating form is solid .. requires few crossovers accelerating backwards because of his power, does not require crossovers after establishing backwards speed, and stays in a low, power position .. demonstrates some speed and power skating forwards and has powerful forward crossovers .. has some agility with the puck to circle away from checks .. occasionally gets upright in his pivots or takes too many steps, but shows very good mechanics at other times .. able to angle opponents well to force them into the boards and rub them out .. 6-foot-3, 210-pound blueliner is able to make big hits and push opponents over .. makes crisp, accurate passes and can connect on long-distance passes .. adept at clearing the puck high and/or off the glass on the penalty kill, or if he has no breakout options .. has all the makings of a very good defensive defenseman that moves the puck well and reliably.

by Trendon on Jun 27, 2009 12:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs