Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson is an offensive winger who becomes a scoring threat as soon as the puck enters the offensive zone. He is comfortable with the puck on his stick, combining a finesse and power game that allow him to get into the tight areas and find loose pucks in the prime scoring areas to generate scoring chances. He is able to handle the puck at full speed, and can challenge defenders in one-on-one situations thanks to his speed and puck-handling ability. He is a true-blue goal-scoring forward who loves to use his shot in multiple ways. If he has an opening, he will fire the puck on net with the intention of beating the goalie – but if you take away his perfect shooting lane he will use his shot to generate rebounds and power his way through traffic to jump all over the loose pucks. Defensively, he needs some work. He oftentimes becoming a pedestrian, just simply watching the play and allowing himself to lose his positioning and lose track of his assignment. To get to the next level he needs to round out his skating ability. Becoming quicker is important, but for him improving his agility will make him much more effective when cutting through traffic or simply trying to create. He has the upside of a potential NHL-caliber player, but he has a long road ahead of him if he wants to become a consistent everyday NHL option. His skillset can be utilized in multiple spots and potentially on the power play, but it will be up to him to improve on his shortcomings before he can be penciled in as a high caliber prospect. He is worth a gamble because players with his scoring ability are heavily sought after by scouts, and there aren’t a lot of other options late in the draft with his offensive upside.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide