Elias Salomonsson was once heralded as a top defenseman in this class. While his stock has plummeted, he is still a solid add in the draft, due to his smooth skating and offensive skillset. It’s also worth noting as a late-August birthday, making him one of the youngest players eligible. His skating allows him to walk the blue line, create time and space, and use his vision to fire a pass to an open teammate. He could use his large frame, strength, and stick to dispossess opponents. In the offensive zone, he also has a decent shot, which can also create scoring chances for teammates. However, there are still several issues with his game. His transition offense is still a work in progress, which is surprising given his strong skating and plus vision. He can be too aggressive or take an unideal path which sees him stripped of the puck. It puts into question either his ability to read and process what’s presented to him. There are simpler plays to be made that he either ignores or doesn’t see. While in the offensive zone, as is the case with most young offensive defenseman, he can be too aggressive with his pinches which see him leave his defense partner to defend an odd-man rush. However, he does have the great skating speed to regain ground if he’s just a few steps behind. Overall, he is a great two-way defenseman that should see his name called in the late first or early second round. His combination of strong defense and great offensive tools saw him generate at a positive clip at the U20 level and even earn a spin in Sweden’s top circuit. The team that selects Salomonsson will hope to develop a solid defenseman with power play capabilities and a strong two-way impact.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide