Photo by Jesper Zerman

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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June 2025 – The Winnipeg Jets signed Freij on a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value in the NHL of $975,000 on June 14, 2025.

Freij played the majority of 2024-25 in the HockeyAllsvenskan of the second-tier league in Sweden with IF Björklöven in 29 games. He produced eight points (two goals and six assists), but injuries and inconsistent ice time did not help these numbers. There is much more to Freij’s game that adds some interest to his long-term potential. His elite playmaking, mobility, and ability to read the game make him a threat in all three zones. Freij will not impact your fantasy roster in the short term, but he is a prospect that you should not be afraid to add; you will have to wait for him to come to North America. In the meantime, see how his game develops in Sweden. For the 2025-26 season, Freij will play for Timrå IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), a top-tier league in Sweden.

Freij will represent Team Sweden at the 2025 World Junior Showcase, which will also include teams from Canada, Finland, and the United States. The event will take place from July 25 to August 2, 2025, at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus. Mark Henry

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 among 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 on that game. He knows when to shoot the puck and rarely, if ever, overpasses; he’s active defensively and demonstrates a great understanding of 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 reins himself in, he can become one of the best defencemen in this class.  David Saad

February Rankings: 18th

 

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 7.5
NHL Certainty 8.0
Country SWE
Position D
Roster Type Europe
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth February 12, 2006
Height 6‘0”
Weight 192 lbs
Drafted 2024 Round 2; Overall: 37
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Stats – Frozen Tools – Profile on FT

SeasonLeagueTeamGPGAPTSPIM+/-
2024-2025J20 NationellIF BjA¶rklA¶ven J20523523
2024-2025HockeyAllsvenskanIF Bjorkloven2926812-2
2023-2024WJC-18Sweden U18724684
2023-2024WJAC-19Sweden U18625700
2023-2024J20 NationellVaxjo Lakers HC J2040141933140
2023-2024J18 RegionVaxjo Lakers HC J18302242
2023-2024Hlinka Gretzky CupSweden U18413480
2023-2024Champions HLVaxjo Lakers HC100000
2022-2023WJAC-19Sweden U18610140
2022-2023WHC-17Sweden U17612340
2022-2023J20 NationellVaxjo Lakers HC J2032088100
2022-2023J18 RegionVaxjo Lakers HC J18501162
2022-2023J18 NationellVaxjo Lakers HC J18432548
2021-2022U16 SMVaxjo Lakers HC U16301140
2021-2022U16 RegionVaxjo Lakers HC U16202200
2021-2022TV-PuckenBlekinge503300
2021-2022J20 NationellVaxjo Lakers HC J2080112-3
2021-2022J18 RegionVaxjo Lakers HC J1811044013
2021-2022J18 NationellVaxjo Lakers HC J181427941
2020-2021U16 RegionKarlskrona HK U167461040
2019-2020U16 Div.1Olofstroms IK U16210120
2018-2019WSI U13Sweden Selects U13634700
2017-2018WSI U12Sweden Selects U12701100

Highlights