E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Rasmus Bengtsson #64

By Eldon MacDonald

64. Rasmus Bengtsson - “Mr. Desirable” - D - Sweden

Vitals: Size - 6’2”, 196 lb.; Shoots left; Born: Landskrona, SWE
Team: Rögle, SWE 2 (Allsvenskan)
2010-11 Stats: 45-2-7-9-6 + SWE 2 playoffs - 6-0-1-1-0 + U18 - 6-0-4-4-2-(+8)

Rankings:
48 - Cory Pronman's Top 100
51 - The Hockey News per TSN
52 - ISS per TSN
59 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
61 - The Scouting Report's Top 100 Skaters
64 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
67 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (10th European skater)
HM - Bob MacKenzie's June Poll of Scouts (HM’s = 61 to 85)
Draft result:
59 - Florida Panthers

Most casual hockey observers on this side of the pond are just getting to know Swedish draft eligible defensemen, Jonas Brodin and Oscar Klefbom, both likely to go in the first round in addition to Adam Larsson. However, there is another draft-eligible Swedish defenseman of considerable promise in Rasmus Bengtsson. Rasmus is just back from the U18’s where he led all Swedish defensemen in plus-minus at plus eight and was third overall for defensemen behind the two Russians, Yarullin and Nesterov. Rasmus has the nice size at 6’2, 196 lb., the strong skating and passing expected of a Swedish defender, the “you’d better get out of the way” booming shot from the point and the good hockey sense necessary to be a top notch defender. Sure, like most Swedish defensemen, he is going to need to get a little more physical and a little stronger and to improve some other facets to his game when he crosses over to this side of the pond but those are just refinements - the essentials are already in place.

Where will he go? Central Scouting and I have him in the early third but he is just as likely to go in the second. Those expecting him to steal him in the fourth can forget it - he is only likely to go up in rounds.