With the 28th overall pick Friday in the 2021 NHL draft, the Colorado Avalanche selected forward Oskar Olausson, a native of Stockholm.
Olausson, who indicated the current plan is to remain in Sweden next year, was on the Swedish camp roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Mich. The event, which runs through next week, featured teams from the U.S., Finland and Sweden, and serves as an audition of sorts for World Juniors.
Olausson spent his draft night “with my best friends. I’m very happy and excited.”
The Avalanche listed their newest addition at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. He’s a left-handed shot according to Elite Prospects. Olausson will turn 19 on Nov. 10.
Olausson was ranked No. 13 by NHL Central Scouting among European skaters. Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic announced the pick.
“Really good city and a good team I want to play with,” Olausson said. “I think my game will fit in with that team.”
Colorado director of amateur scouting Wade Klippenstein said Olausson fits the team identity.
“Very good skater. Big body to support and shoot the puck,” Klippenstein said. “There’s a lot of checkmarks with Oscar.”
Olausson split the 2020-21 season between HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League (3 goals, 1 assists, 16 games), on loan to Sodertalje in the Allsvenskan league (3 goals, 3 assists, 11 games) and with HV71’s junior club (14 goals, 13 assists, 16 games).
“Olausson is a strong skater who is solid and reliable every game,” Goran Stubb, NHL director of European Scouting, told NHL.com.
Olausson took part in the 2021 World Junior Championship, appearing in four games. He also helped Sweden to bronze at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Wolverines were in high demand Friday as three of the top five selections were Michigan players and a fourth was a commit. Owen Power (Buffalo Sabres) and Matthew Beniers (Seattle Kraken) went first and second and Kent Johnson was picked fifth by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Luke Hughes, an incoming freshman at Michigan, was chosen fourth overall by the New Jersey Devils.
Scrappy forward Zachary L’Heureux out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League went one pick higher than Olausson to the Nashville Predators.
The second through seventh rounds take place Saturday. The Avalanche are set to pick in the second, third, and seventh rounds.
This content was originally published here.
