Filip Ekberg – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Given his strong stickhandling, it’s no surprise that Ekberg is a strong playmaker. He can keep an eye on where all his teammates are, which gives him time to wait for the perfect passing lane to open up. If it doesn’t, then he has plenty of deceptive moves to pull out to create space. But his shot also deserves mention. He doesn’t have the expansive arsenal of shots like some of the best shooters in this draft class, but his wrist shot is strong and accurate. When he has the chance to score, he rarely misses.

Ekberg’s off-puck work is also impressive. Despite his smaller size, he is relentless on the forecheck. In Sweden’s round robin game against the United States, he was instrumental in setting up and finishing off the play that led to Sweden’s first goal. Theo Stockselius carried the puck into the zone, fighting to gain control, but eventually lost it to American defender Asher Barnett. However, before the 6-foot-4, 209-pound Blake Fiddler could gain control, there was Ekberg, who shoved the much bigger American into the boards, causing him to fumble the puck. Eric Nilson picked up the loose puck and sent it back to Ekberg in front of the net, who fired it above Patrick Quinlan’s shoulder into the net.

In that play against the Americans, Ekberg showed why he is such a valuable forward. Yes, his shot is strong, and he showed off his stickhandling in other instances, but his hard work paved the way for the scoring chance, and his awareness and vision allowed him to capitalize on a mistake from the Americans. Better yet, he’s fearless, going up against bigger players and making sure they know he’s there.

However, some may ask why such a talented player like Ekberg has been left off so many draft rankings, or why he plummeted 42 spots on Central Scouting’s Final Rankings. One of the biggest reasons is his size, which I hinted at previously. At 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, he is not an imposing player on the ice, and although he’s more than willing to drive to the net and battle for pucks, he does not have the strength to win them consistently. Even in the video above, he doesn’t push Fiddler off the puck, instead giving his teammates time to get into position.

Another concern was his league play, as Ekberg didn’t stand out most of the season with the Ottawa 67’s. After going 33rd overall in the 2024 Import Draft, he had a difficult time adjusting to the North American game, which wasn’t helped after coming down with an illness that kept him off the ice for two weeks while the 67’s were in training camp. He managed to bounce back thanks to his father’s presence before the season began, and in October, but more illnesses returned over the next two months, limiting him to 11 games and nine points. When he finally returned, he wasn’t given a lot of ice time, leaving him with just two points in 10 games. Thankfully, Ekberg earned more opportunities as the season wore on, finishing with 24 points in his last 20 games, but scouts have remained critical of 67’s head coach Dave Cameron’s deployment of him.

Apart from that, however, Ekberg hasn’t really shown any weaknesses in his game. His defensive play isn’t a strength, but far from a weakness, given his excellent work ethic, and once he gets stronger, it will almost definitely improve. The biggest question around him is how he stacks up against tougher competition, since he didn’t have a lot of opportunities to show that with the 67’s, but the U18s proved that he is more than capable of hanging with the top prospects of the 2025 Draft class.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Filip Ekberg – NHL Draft Projection

Given his size and limited impact in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Ekberg is a riskier pick heading into June. However, there’s no question that he is highly skilled and may be one of the most purely talented players up for the draft. At the beginning of the season, he was projected to be a second-round pick, then fell to a mid to late-round pick due to his inconsistency in the OHL, but after his impressive showing at the tournament, some have returned him to his preseason projection. While the NHL’s size bias will hurt his selection, his performance at the U18s will be difficult to forget.

Quotables

“He found soft space in the slot. He showed a slick release. He can pick his spots in the net. His standup skating stride can look a little unconventional, but he’s agile on cuts and can play with tempo. He finds his way around of ton of chances in the home plate area. He showed a quick catch and release and quick hands. I even liked how he won body positioning on the cycle. He was a driver of offence at both five-on-five and made his power-play unit the de facto go-to unit after it wasn’t always that way this year. Awesome week for the kid — though his gold medal game was his first quiet one of the event.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (from ‘2025 U18 Worlds standouts and disappointments: Martin, Stenberg impress, Frondell falls flat,’ The Athletic – 3/5/25)

“My biggest complaint about Ekberg’s season was how underutilized he was by Ottawa 67’s coach Dave Cameron. Ekberg then seemed to be launched out of a cannon in Sweden’s opening game, scoring four goals and five points. He was easily one of the best players on the ice on any given night and deserved all the MVP love he got. I think he’s one of the more pure-skilled forwards in this draft class, and that he just needed the right opportunity to prove that. For me, mission accomplished.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“At his peak, Ekberg is a quick, shifty puck handler, dynamic on his edges, faking out defender after defender, on a mission to create a scoring chance. He can really explode into a sprint on rush chances, and it rarely feels like he stops moving his feet once he gets them going. He sees the ice well, hitting teammates with creative and accurate passes. He’s got a laser of a shot that I wish he used more often. There is even a will to get physical, even if he doesn’t quite have his man strength yet. When Ekberg is pushing the pace on and off the puck and he’s driving his line, he is a 1^st round talent, no questions asked.” – Felix Robbins, McKeen’s Hockey

“[Ekberg] established himself as one of the biggest names to come out of his home country two years ago when he set the record as the youngest Allsvenskan player in history to record not just a point, but a hat-trick at the age of 15. If he were 16 at the time, he would be joining the company of established NHLers like David Pastrnak, William Nylander and Filip Forsberg; to do it at 15 puts him in a tier of his own. Like the players above, Ekberg is a dynamic talent who plays the game with remarkable speed and finesse as well as some refined playmaking ability. Despite his 5-10 frame, Ekberg is anything but shy from challenging defenders, regularly using his feet to tackle gaps with remarkable timing. Couple that with his underrated shot and you have an in-suppressible forward that can beat you in any number of ways. While the 67s are likely to keep Ekberg on a tight leash while he acclimates to his new team, they likely will not be able to keep him on the pine for long. He is going to be a blast to watch.” – David Saad, Dobber Prospects

Strengths

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

It’s tempting to compare Ekberg to Brayden Point, who has become the definition of success for smaller players in the NHL, and there are some similarities in their games. However, I think there may be more of a Jesper Bratt. Like Ekberg, Bratt is 5-foot-10 and relies heavily on his creativity and speed to create plays, but he didn’t thrive during the regular season of his draft year. However, those who spent time watching his game were blown away, so the New Jersey Devils snagged him in the sixth round of the 2016 Draft. If given time to add muscle, there’s a chance he emerges as a top-line playmaker, or at the very least, a middle-six offensive catalyst.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 8/10, Defence – 6/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

Alexander Zharovsky Stats

Videos