Henrik Borgstrom
| Birthday: 1997-08-06 | Position: C |
| Eligible for draft: 2015 | Shoots: Left |
| Drafted: 2016 | Height: 6-3 |
| Acquired: 1st Round (23rd Overall), 2016 | Weight: 175 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- D
History
2013-14: Henrik Borgstrom skated for the HIFK U18 team in Finland after playing for Jokerit at the U16 level. In 30 regular season games he scored 8 goals with 12 assists and 6 penalty minutes. Borgstrom scored 1 goal in 5 playoff games.
2014-15: Borgstrom was one of the leading scorers for the HIFK U18 team in his second season despite missing over half the season. He scored 12 goals with 25 assists and 4 penalty minutes in 21 regular season games for third-place HIFK. The Helsinki club reached the playoff finals, before being swept by Karpat in a best-of-five series. Borgstrom led HIFK in scoring in the playoffs, scoring 7 goals with 8 assists and 2 penalty minutes in 12 games.
2015-16: Borgstrom finished third in the Finland U20 league with 29 goals in 40 regular season games for fifth-place HIFK and played for the Finland U19 team in his first international tournament. He had 26 assists and was +23 with 20 penalty minutes during the A juniors regular season and was named to the league’s first all-star team. Borgstrom scored 4 goals with 2 assists and was -3 with no penalties in four playoff games. Not ranked in the Central Scouting final rankings his first year of draft eligibility in 2015, Borgstrom was ranked 9th amongst international skaters and was invited to the NHL Prospects Combine prior to the 2016 NHL Draft. He committed to playing at the University of Denver in April 2016 and was selected by Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the second round (50th overall) in the 2016 KHL Draft. Borgstrom was chosen in the first round, 23rd overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers.
Talent Analysis
Borgstrom is a creative and skilled scorer with a variety of offensive tools. Another of the taller forwards to come out of Finland in recent years, he had a rather late growth spurt and does not yet have the strength and agility to take full advantage of that size. His defensive positional play and strength in one-on-one battles are areas that need addressing but should improve as he matures physically and gains experience at the college level.
Future
Henrik Borgstrom skated for the HIFK U20 team in 2015-16 rather than playing in Liiga to maintain his NCAA eligibility. Not selected in the 2015 NHL Draft in his first year of draft eligibility, he will beginning his college career at the University of Denver in 2016-17. He projects as a second or third line center with above average offensive skill.
