Zion Nybeck

March 2022 – Nybeck fractured his ankle in January, and had surgery to repair the damage. He may not return to action this season as per HV71. Nybeck has been injured since January, and prior to the injury, hadn’t seen a great deal of offensive production in his first year with Allsvenskan’s HV71 with only three goals and eight assists in 22 games.  The injury won’t expedite his transition to North America, and furthering his development in the Hurricanes’ system. He is only 19, and still has lots of growing to do. Keep an eye on him in very deep leagues. Alex Wyatt

May 2021 – Nybeck finished the SHL season with a goal and six assists in 39 games for HV71. He was in a limited role throughout the season and was held pointless during three relegation games as well. During the season his brief three game stint in Hockey Allsvenskan was his best showing. In three games Almtuna IS he scored three times and had five points. Next season with HV71 I would expect Nybeck to have a bigger role and play with more confidence. Austin Broad 

March 2021 – Nybeck was loaned to Almtuna IS of HockeyAllsvenskan after playing 32 SHL games with HV71. Nybeck has three goals and an assist in three games since joining Almtuna and has not gone without a point since the loan took place.  Austin Broad  

February 2021 – This season has been an adjustment for Nybeck, after starting the season with HV71’s J20 team (eight points in four games) he got called up to the SHL. The winger has struggled to produce in his first full season in the pros with only five points in 32 games and finds himself in a four-game pointless streak. Nybeck is only 18-years-old and still needs to figure out how to play at the professional level, patience will be key with his development. Austin Broad

October 2020 – Nybeck has been selected 115th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. Tony Ferrari 

February 2020 – Nybeck has had an incredible season in J20 SuperElit where his 50 points in 34 games leads the league. His points-per-game average puts him sixth in the league and first among under-18 players, and his 17 goals puts him third among under-18 players and 11th league-wide. No matter how you look at it, he’s had an incredible season as a 17-year-old. Nybeck has also performed very well in international events with Sweden’s U18 team where he usually plays a top-six role with power play time. On top of that, he has also gotten a few SHL games under his belt but his average ice time in those games is below two minutes, so he’s mostly just sitting on the bench there.

It is not even a little bit surprising that Nybeck is having a great season. He already posted 43 points in 35 games last season in the same league, and he also played very well with Sweden’s U18 team. Nybeck’s game has been progressing steadily, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts to get real ice time at the SHL level. That may not happen this season but should happen in 2020-2021. In April, Nybeck is expected to play a major role for Sweden at the U18 Worlds.

Nybeck is a great skater who has a deadly combination of speed and quickness. He is always on the move and giving great effort which makes it look like he’s everywhere. He is a very effective forechecker and backchecker. He is a very smart and creative offensive player who can execute difficult plays because of his excellent hands. On top of that, he also has a very good wrist shot. The only knock against Nybeck seems to be his size. At 5-foot-8, he always has to prove himself over and over again. But he is not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice, and he can throw a good hit when it’s needed. Nybeck has all the talents of a top 20 pick but may end up sliding all the way to the second round because of his size.  Jokke Nevalainen