Eric Nilson – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Scouts have also been impressed with Nilson’s compete level, work ethic and willingness to do anything to keep the puck out of his team’s net from laying out to block shots, being physical along the boards, and as Felix Robbins of McKeen’s Hockey puts it: [subscribing] to the idea that “the best time to get the puck back is right after you lose it” – in other words, deftly using his stick to strip opponents of the puck in the OZ or in transition.”

A great example of this was during the J18 Final when Nilson’s team was down 4-3 and pressing for the tieing goal. He made two goal line saves with the net empty to keep the deficit to one, first clearing the puck before it made it to the net, and then a beauty of a kick save shortly afterwards. This led to an offensive chance the other way and the eventual tieing goal. Then to cap it off, he grabbed an assist on the overtime winner to capture gold over Lulea, finishing the game with a goal and two assists.

Overall, it appears Nilson has the clutch gene and the innate ability to step up his game in the playoffs and for his country. His game lends itself to those situations, as he’s the exact archetype that always seems to thrive beyond the regular season and on the international stage. It has come through multiple times in his hockey career already, from a hat trick and four points in the bronze medal game of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup – notably his only points of the tournament – to the aforementioned goal line stand and three points in Game 3 of the J18 Final. Not to mention, his point totals in international tournaments and the postseason (J18 and J20 levels) are off the charts with 20 goals and 49 points in 51 games, and 16 goals and 46 points in 36 games, respectively. Just this season alone, he had 11 goals and 30 points between the J18 and J20 teams, leading both to gold medals.

While Nilson couldn’t come through in the gold medal game for Sweden at the U18 World Championship, he did have a strong showing, finishing with two goals and five points, all while showcasing more flashes of offense and his usual motor, work ethic, and complete game.

All in all, Nilson should be an interesting prospect to watch in this draft as every team needs a dependable center that can be deployed in all situations and steps up his game at the most important times of the year. With some added strength and development, he could be one of those guys we look back on in the future and talk about as a steal in the late first or early second round.

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Eric Nilson – NHL Draft Projection

Nilson will definitely garner some interest from teams in the latter part of the first and early second round. Ranked as high as 25th (Baracchini) and as low as 85th (FC Hockey), I could see someone taking a flier on him during the first day, considering his already strong defensive game. If I had to make a prediction, I would say he’s going to be selected between 25th and 30th overall.

Quotables

“Eric Nilson is a high-IQ, two-way center with excellent puck skills and the ability to make an impact in all three zones. While his size and strength are areas of concern, his work ethic and hockey sense suggest he has the potential to overcome these limitations with proper development. With the right development model and physical growth, Nilson has the tools to become a valuable NHL contributor.” – Neutral Zone

“Nilson is rising for me. He’s a very skilled right-shot forward who’s difficult to defend in small areas. Nilson leverages pretty well for his current weight and uses his excellent skating and edges to escape pressure to make plays. Nilson is deployed in all situations at the J20 level in Sweden, but he isn’t likely to kill penalties in North America. He has top six NHL skill on projection but will obviously have to add considerably more strength.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

“Nilson is a lean but intelligent center who is one of the smarter forwards in the draft on both sides of the puck. He takes smart routes with and without the puck, finds space in possession, always has his head and eyes up and processes the game at an advanced level.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (from ‘2025 NHL Draft prospects: Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa pull away in Wheeler’s March top 64 ranking,’ The Athletic, 3/25/25)

“Nilson is a very smart player in general, lending itself to his patient puck distributing abilities in the offensive zone and his vision lets him make some great passing plays. He’s got a decent shot that he locates well, and can get a surprising amount of power behind his one-timers. However, he lacks the high-end puck-handling abilities and quickness that would make his offensive game more projectable.” – Felix Robbins, McKeen’s Hockey

Strengths

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

NHL Potential

Nilson’s hockey IQ and strong defensive game gives him a higher floor than most players in this draft, as he’s been highlighted as one of the smartest of his class. Felix Robbins of McKeen’s Hockey compared him to Calgary Flames’ captain Mikael Backlund, who has racked up an impressive 1,066 games in the NHL, and is widely known as one of the best two-way centers in the game. Honestly, I see Backlund as his ceiling, and his dad, Marcus, as his floor. Having said that, he could surprise us all and become someone like Brayden Point, who also has the clutch gene, tremendous speed, hockey IQ, and was drafted late because of his lack of size. But we will have to wait and see on that.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 1/5, Reward – 5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 6/10, Defence – 9/10

Awards/Achievements

Nilson won gold with Djurgardens in both the J18 and J20 Nationell this season, and a bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Sweden last year. He was also part of the Swedish team that lost 7-0 to Canada in the gold medal game of the U18 World Championship. He is committed to Michigan State University next season.

Eric Nilson Statistics

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