Nils Lundkvist

September 2022 – Poised to begin this next campaign with Dallas, the former first-round pick of the New York Rangers will be given chances he wouldn’t have gotten in the Big Apple. On Dallas’ weak right defense, we could see Lundkvist play top-line minutes alongside Miro Heiskanen as soon as this year. Making parallels to John Klingberg isn’t difficult with Lundkvist. Both Swedish right-handed defenders who saw extreme success in the SHL, the objective to fill Klingberg’s spot is obvious. Despite drafting three defensemen in the first three rounds of the 2022 draft, Lundkvist immediately becomes the Dallas organization’s best defenseman in the pipeline. Aaron Itovitch

June 2022 – Lundkvist completed his first year of North American hockey, suiting up for the Rangers after making the team out of training camp, where he posted one goal and three assists in 25 games.  Following his demotion to AHL Hartford, Lundkvist posted three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 34 games. Lundkvist, who played dominant hockey for Lulea in the SHL for the past couple of seasons prior to arriving in the States, played a low-risk style during his time with the blueshirts. He did not show off the playmaking skills that he has been hailed for, especially those that he showed during his post-draft seasons with Lulea. Lundkvist had a big adjustment leaving Sweden, to be sure, but look for him to try to assert himself leading into training camp this Fall, where he hopes to make the Rangers once again, or at the very least, be the first callup to the big club. Lundkvist, though undersized, has all of the tools to be an excellent NHL defenseman. The only question is, with the NHL depth ahead of him, will he be able to lock down a permanent spot for New York at some point during the 2022-2023 season. Brendan Ferry

August 2021 – Both in the SHL this year and at the 202o World Junior Championship, Nils Lundkvist continued to solidify his projection as a future top-4. The hyper-mobile left-shot defenseman has an exceptionally high awareness of when and how to activate in order to optimize offensive opportunity. He’s capable of transitioning the puck with a pass or by carrying, and does so without unnecessary flare. He should absolutely have some opportunity to play in the NHL before Christmas, and it would be surprising if he hasn’t cemented himself on the lineup by the end of the year. Brayden Olafson

October 2020 – After a record breaking U20  season as a D+2 player in the SHL last year, Nils Lundkvist has rejoined Lulea for what should be his third and final season with the club. Although it was rumoured in the spring that Lundkvist would be signing his entry-level contract with the Rangers this offseason, the now 20-year-old ultimately decided to stay in Europe amongst uncertainty in North American and the NHL with the ongoing pandemic. Brayden Olafson

January 2020 – The 19-year-old defenseman was a key piece in earning Sweden a bronze medal at the 2020 WJC in the Czech Republic. Lundkvist played a poised role on the team’s first powerplay unit, teaming up with Rasmus Sandin on the point. His strong puck control and quick distribution decisions were a major factor in the teams’ offense, and what led to him earning a team-leading seven assists at the tournament. He’ll now return to Lulea where he leads all SHL U20 skaters in scoring with 17 points in 24 contests. An ELC for the Swede should be expected by the end of Summer. Brayden Olafson

August 2019  – As one of the younger defensemen on Sweden’s WJC roster, Lundkvist played a minor role in a successful round-robin portion of the tournament. Unfortunately, the powerhouse roster as a whole was unable to convert in the elimination rounds and wound up coming home without a medal. After wrapping up a fairly successful rookie campaign in the SHL with Lulea, Lundkvist once again joined his countrymen at the World Junior Summer Showcase. While donning the Three Crowns in August, Lundkvist took a nasty fall after a bit of a speed wobble in the defensive zone, taking him out of action after just one game. Shortly after, Lulea announced that an MRI found the injury to be relatively minor and that he would make a full recovery within a few weeks. All things considered, Lundkvist should be poised for taking on a much bigger role with Lulea this year, in addition to returning with Sweden for another kick at the can at the WJC in the Czech Republic. Brayden Olafson

December 2018 – Of the two Rangers prospects named to the preliminary roster for the Swedish World Junior squad, Lundkvist likely has the better shot of cracking the opening night roster. The skilled defender has made a full transition to the SHL and has been contributing respectably. If selected, it’s unlikely that his exposure will be significant, however, the opportunity to compete on the world stage will provide him with a chance to boost his value within the organization. Brayden Olafson

June 2018 – Lundkvist finished his rookie season in the SHL with two goals and five points in 28 games. He played 16 minutes per game with about one minute of that on the power play but all five of his points were scored at even strength. He also won the Best Defenseman award at the U20 league SuperElit even though he spent just half a season there. At the U18 World Championship tournament, Lundkvist scored two points in seven games. He played big minutes in all situations and won a bronze medal with Team Sweden.  Jokke Nevalainen

March 2018 – With his late July birthday, Lundkvist is quite young for the 2018 NHL Draft but he has already spent most of the season in the SHL, the top league in Sweden. Playing in the SHL is impressive as not many 17-year-old defensemen can do that – and when they do, it’s usually either playing limited minutes or they are on a bad team. His Luleå team is on its way to the playoffs and Lundkvist’s average ice time is almost 16 minutes per game. Lundkvist is a smart offensive defenseman who loves to join the rush. His skating is very good and his puck-movement is excellent, but his defensive game needs improvement. Lundkvist has been a quick riser in draft rankings and is now considered a possible first round selection. He needs some time to physically mature but his offensive upside is very good. Jokke Nevalainen