Several NHL prospects impressed in SHL action as Detroit Red Wings' Eddie Genborg and Luleå’s Casper Juustovaara Karlsson stood out with strong performances. Text by Jacob Smeds.
Several NHL-affiliated prospects stood out in yesterday’s SHL action. Detroit Red Wings prospect Eddie Genborg continued to impress as he helped Timrå to a comeback win over Leksand. Another player who impresses is 2026 NHL Draft-eligible forward Casper Juustovaara Karlsson. He scored twice for Luleå on Thursday night. Here are the main headlines from yesterday’s SHL action.
Detroit Red Wings prospect Eddie Genborg continues to impress
Eddie Genborg has had an excellent start to the season. After 14 SHL games, he sits at five goals and eight points. That’s a clear improvement from last year, when he scored just two goals in 28 games in the same league. On Thursday, Genborg once again played a key role for Timrå in a comeback win over Leksand. He tied the game with 37 seconds left in regulation and was one of the heroes for Timrå. In overtime, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Simon Forsmark sealed the win just 23 seconds in.
“It feels good. It’s an important win, and we’ll take that any day of the week,” says Eddie Genborg after the 3–2 win against Leksand.
Draft-eligible Casper Juustovaara Karlsson scores twice
Casper Juustovaara Karlsson was born late in 2007, making him eligible for next year’s draft. Coming into the season, he wasn’t on many draft radars, largely because he hadn’t represented Sweden at the junior international level. That changed on Wednesday when he was named to the Swedish U20 roster for the upcoming Five Nations tournament.
Juustovaara Karlsson celebrated his national team call-up in the best possible way on Thursday’s SHL action, scoring twice in Luleå’s win over Linköping. After the game, Juustovaara Karlsson was pleased with his performance.
“The idea was just to get a feel for it and maybe play a few preseason games. But I’ve been able to keep going, and it’s been really fun,” he says to Aftonbladet.
Oliver Kylington makes his return to the SHL
Djurgården is usually in the spotlight thanks to NHL prospects like Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund. Neither of them recorded any points in Thursday’s game, and instead it was returning defenseman Oliver Kylington who drew the attention. After ten years in North America, he was back on Swedish ice. Kylington logged 17 minutes and 4 seconds of ice time. After the game, he spoke with the Swedish outlet Hockeysverige.se and shared his thoughts on watching Djurgården’s young talents on a daily basis.
“It’s great to see them every day, fun to practice with them, and they’re good guys both on and off the ice. Getting to know them and playing hockey with them these past days has been fun, and I’m looking forward to playing with them. All three have a bright future. Viggo (Björck) is way ahead in his development, and he knows it,” says Oliver Kylington to Hockeysverige.se.
Viggo Björck has not been part of Djurgården’s lineup for the past two games. Instead, he suited up for the U20 team over the weekend, recording one goal and two assists in the two games he played.
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After 10 years in the NHL, Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington is returning back to the city where he was born and raised, and the Djurgården club where he played as a teenager.