Fantasy Summary
An average-sized defenseman who can create offence with an above-average shot and pro-ready one-timer. Has NHL skill and mobility but lacks hockey sense. Needs to develop on both sides of the puck; the offence is ahead of the defence. Has the potential to make an impact in all three zones and the upside to become a number three puck-moving defenseman.
Observations
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September 2024 – Freij attended the Winnipeg Jets 2024 Development Camp on July 3-7, 2024. He will not participate in the 2024 Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C, September 13-16, 2024. Mark Henry
June 2024 – The 18-year-old defenseman scored 14 goals and added 19 assists for 33 points in 40 games played during the 2023-24 season with the Växjö Lakers Jr. in the Swedish Junior League. He is expected to spend the 2024-25 season in the second-tier pro-HockeyAllsvenskan with IK Björklöven on loan from Växjö. Mark Henry
June 2024 – Freij was selected in the second round, 37th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2024 NHL Draft. Hadi Kalakeche
April 2024 – Freij has been a riser on our board all season long due to his combination of three elite elements: his reading of the game (especially with play in front of him), his mobility, and his playmaking ability. He is a dynamic creator from the blueline in all three zones. In the breakout, he takes charge – wanting the puck on his stick – and is as much a threat to carry the puck up the ice, integrating liberal lateral and gear shifts into his rushes, as he is to spring the attack with a seeing-eye stretch pass. In the offensive zone, he frequently activates up the boards, creating lanes through defensive structures with both his feet and hands and placing accurate passes onto the tapes of teammates in high-danger areas: he’s one of the draft’s premier playmaking defensemen. His defensive game is characterized by a tight gap, calculated stickwork, and a lack of physicality, which will be one of the main elements needing progression before his jump to the NHL. While he’s exclusively played J20 competition this season and the lack of experience against adult competition will hurt his eventual draft stock, the creativity, intelligence, high-end tools, and promising development curve make him the first European blueliner I’d select on draft day. He could be an incredibly high-value add on Day 2 of the draft in Vegas. (April Rankings: #16) Sebastian High
February 2024 – The cream of the Swedish crop, Freij, has been dominant at the J20 level. There are a lot of great passing defensemen in this year’s draft, and Freij is amongst the best of them. Factor in his mobility and he becomes a possession demon, few things can ever keep Freij from putting the puck where he wants it. What separates him from his peers is the compliments to that game. He knows when to simply shoot the puck and rarely if ever overpasses, he’s active defensively and demonstrates a great understanding on how to build on the advantages he creates. He’s everything you want from your offensive defenseman and is a defensive quarterback at its purest. His aggressive style of play leads to him being overeager at times, but as he reigns himself in, he can become one of the best defencemen in this class. – David Saad
February Rankings: 18th
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