Two Chicago Blackhawks Prospects Making Waves Overseas

There is no doubt that the Chicago Blackhawks are, and have been, a bad hockey team. With that comes a plethora of NHL draft picks and prospects. When looking at the list of prospects, some familiar names are toward the top. Ryan Roobroeck was one of two marquee selections from Chicago. The other, Xavier Villeneuve, has arguably been the best player on a strong Boston University team. Both Julius Sumpf and Nathan Behm have been names to watch. But two players have stood out above the rest: William Söbrand and Joel Svensson.

William Söbrand

When the Chicago Blackhawks drafted William Söbrand with the 200th pick in the NHL draft, most people didn’t bat an eye. It was a gamble, but so far it’s paying off. The forward out of Sundsvall has been a wrecking ball in front of the net. He’s a point-per-game player with 12 goals and three assists in 15 contests. His physical presence and goal-scoring ability earned him a one-game call-up to the SHL. During his development camp with Chicago, Söbrand said he tried to soak up as much as he could.

“You know, just trying to make new friends and trying to develop my game as much as I can, and just take in everything.”

Söbrand will be a name to watch as he makes his way to North America, especially given the recent success of players like Jiri Felcman in Rockford.