Mattias Havelid is an undersized, smooth-skating defenseman with the capabilities to be a dynamic blueliner at the NHL level. Havelid is on the smaller side of things, but can make up for his lacking frame in a variety of ways. Most notably, his skating could be among the best for draft-eligible defenders. This ability is best seen when walking the offensive blue line with ease. From there, he has a developed offensive skillset. He has a quality wrist shot, which can score or allow a rebound for his teammates to pounce on. His vision is also superb. At both even-strength and as a power play quarterback, he can fire off solid passes to the tape of teammate’s sticks. He also succeeds as a catalyst for offensive transitions. His vision and skating afford him opportunities to make strong breakout passes or carry the puck himself in order to set up possession in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone, there’s concerns. He physically takes up less space and has a shorter reach than the majority of defensemen available in this draft class. His mobility and skating skills make him a decent defender against opposing rushes, and he manages gaps well, but he has to go about positioning over strength in all situations. He must improve his board battles. Even against fellow junior players, he is too often outmuscled in 50/50 situations. He can also be passive in these battles, in instances when he could have made a large impact on the play. He is a terrific offensive talent with great upside who must develop a stronger defensive game in order to rise the ranks of professional hockey and outdo the normal expectations set for a short blueliner. Still, there’s plenty to like in the package Havelid does currently possess.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide