2012 NHL Entry Draft: Sebastian Collberg Prospect Profile
There are a few commentaries about the Senators that never seem to get old: those which pertain to Dany Heatley's tremendous degree of suck and those which reference Ottawa as a sort of Swedish colony. Thus, there can be no better prospect profile to write than one about a player from Alfie's hockey alma mater, the Frolunda Indians. Sebastian Collberg is a top-ranked European skater coming into this year's draft, having played out his season with Frolunda, interrupted by a noteworthy point-per-game appearance on the Swedish World Junior squad.
Collberg dropped a spot between the midterm and final Central Scouting rankings, finishing as the third best European Skater, behind likely top selection Filip Forsberg and Teuvo Teravainen. The right winger comes in just under six foot tall and 175 pounds. However, his smallish frame is offset by his terrific offensive skill-set and ability.
The Player:
In trying to evaluate Collberg's worth, one is drawn to his pointless 41 game campaign in the SEL this season. To be sure, it would be nice had Collberg been on the ice for a few successful offensive exploits. Still, Collberg wasn't afforded much opportunity as a teenager in the SEL's fifth-ranked team. Considering the effusive praise directed Collberg's way by scouts and his productive time on the national junior team, the winger is clearly a good talent. Indeed, the team over at The Hockey Writers suggest he could challenge Yakupov as the player with the best release in the draft. His explosive release and quick hands are obvious signs of a talented and speedy sniper in the making. However, his smallish frame and wild point-scoring drought in the Elite League are good reminders that Collberg is hardly ready to step into the NHL.
As a Senator:
There is doubtless going to be room on the wings in the coming years. Even if Mika Zibanejad moves to the wing, the team still has a relative dearth of winger depth. Stefan Noesen should be challenging for one of the positions in a few year's time, but the Murray team would not be ill-advised to bulk up on its core of projectable right wingers. However, Ottawa does have plenty of undersized forwards. What Collberg needs more than anything else is time and patience. Do the Senators have it?