Canucks: A look at Nils Hoglander’s SHL season so far

Nils Hoglander is one of the Vancouver Canucks’ top prospects. Let’s take a look at how he’s doing overseas playing in the SHL right now.

The Vancouver Canucks selected Nils Hoglander in the second round and 40th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The left-winger was and still is praised by scouts for his hands and creativity with the puck. Hoglander has scored some spectacular goals and is a decent skater who can work well along the boards despite his smaller frame.

Covid-19 and uncertainty

Hoglander hadn’t played in the last two weeks due to a Covid-19 outbreak on his team, Rögle Bk. However, games have recently resumed and Hoglander celebrated his return to action with a goal in what was a 4-0 win over HV71.

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Hoglander’s loan also expires on December 12th and there is still uncertainty regarding the upcoming NHL season and not much information has been shared. The league looked at starting the season on January 1st with training camps beginning in mid-December. It’s feeling optimistic at this point, but whenever the league does fire back up again, Hoglander will have to quarantine for 14 after his arrival to Canada regardless. But the sooner he can get here, the better Canucks fans will feel. The excitement around this kid is pretty high.

Hoglander’s season

Despite all that, it seems Hoglander was doing just fine in the SHL.  In 14 games, he has scored three goals and eight points. Once again, I asked Chris Faber of Canucks Army and Canucks Conversation about a Canucks prospect because he has also watched Hoglander play. Here is what he said in the latest edition of the Canucks Army Monday Mailbag.

"“The situation with Nils Höglander and Rögle BK has been good so far. He has been getting time in the top six but still only plays around 12-15 minutes every game. He’s not really a player that the coach trusts in the final few minutes of a game and he is still only getting power play time in half of the games this season.The 5-on-5 play has been outstanding — we all know about his excellent skills with the puck on his stick — but he has impressed me with his ability to control the possession of the puck. He has one of the highest Corsi for percentages in all of the SHL and that was something that he wanted to work on last season. When I spoke to him last he said that it was time for him to start scoring more points and before the COVID-19 outbreak to Rögle, he was doing just that.There are only a handful of games left for Höglander before his loan expires. With the Covid situation at Rögle and the team making cuts to player salary, I wonder if that opens a door for him to be travelling to Vancouver sooner than the projected date of December 13th.”"

Hoglander Clips

Let’s take a look at some clips of Hoglander with Rögle this season.

Here is his first goal of the season coming from a penalty shot.  Hoglander used his speed and very quick shot. It happened in the blink of an eye and the goalie barely moved.

Here is an example of how Hoglander is strong on the boards. Despite falling, he manages to win the battle and get an assist.

Though Hoglander is only  5’9″ and 176 pounds, he isn’t afraid to be physical. Here, he delivers a big hit and wins another board battle.

https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1301582803608297473

Hoglander’s great stickhandling is displayed below. I love how he doesn’t lose control of the puck and sets up a goal.

https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1303756118515015680

Can he make the team?

Hoglander looks like he has the tools of an NHL-ready player. I think he should spend some time with the Utica Comets first, but he could make a name for himself at camp and compete for a roster spot.