Viking Gustafsson-Nyberg is a college-free agent. I think the Montreal Canadiens should sign the talented defenseman for a host of reasons.
One reason is his 6-6, 223-pound frame. And he knows how to use it. This blueliner can lay the smackdown and he has a solid stick on defense. I watched him play in the NCAA Regionals and was impressed. I still think there are things to see live besides what can be gleaned on video. According to InStat, he averages 1.31 hits a game and only 1 hit against. What does that tell you? At 21, he’s already physically developed.
I think his puck moving is good and his skating needs work but that’s ok. Let him play for a few seasons in Laval to improve upon that. He’s very disciplined and doesn’t take dumb penalties, that’s another sign of a player with a good hockey I.Q. and he can control his aggression.
One last thing is his defensive play. Besides using the body, VGN has a very active stick. To show how much faith the coaching staff has in him. He is at 69% defensive zone starts. He was a big reason UConn could be formidable in their own end.
I think he’s a player worth taking a swing at. Sometimes bigger players take longer to develop and that could be the case here. You’re not looking for much offense out of him but he did have a goal and ten assists in 39 games. But one thing is for sure, he definitely hit the weight room on off days.
