St. Louis Blues goalie prospect Love Härenstam impresses in Sweden. Jacob Smeds also looks at Ducks’ Herman Träff and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Elton Hermansson.
It was a strong weekend for NHL prospects in Sweden, especially in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan on Friday. The brightest star was St. Louis Blues goaltending prospect Love Härenstam, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in a winning effort. Others who impressed included Ducks prospect Herman Träff and draft-eligible forward Elton Hermansson.
Blues goalie prospect Love Härenstam impresses
Earning ice time as a junior goaltender at the pro level is no easy task, but Love Härenstam has done just that and more. The 2007-born netminder has taken over as Södertälje’s starting goalie to start the season, appearing in eight of the team’s 12 games. Härenstam has impressed with his athletic style and compete level, posting a .931 save percentage and a 1.61 goals-against average.
In Friday’s game, Härenstam was crucial to his team’s win. Despite being outshot 34–22, Södertälje came away with the victory, thanks in large part to his play in net. Time and time again, Härenstam has shown that he can turn into a nightmare for opponents in games where he faces a heavy workload. In those situations, he has a knack for finding his rhythm and becoming nearly unbeatable between the pipes.
Ducks prospect Herman Träff continues his hot streak
Few players in Swedish hockey have seen a career boost quite like Anaheim Ducks prospect Herman Träff. After a tentative season last year, where he spent most of his time in the SHL with HV71, Träff has found his game again in Oskarshamn. The club is his boyhood team, and the homecoming has been just as successful as he had hoped. Through 12 games, he has posted five goals and 16 points in HockeyAllsvenskan. What makes it even more impressive is that Träff is only hours away from still being a junior player, having been born on New Year’s Eve in 2005.
Elton Hermansson showing he belongs among the pros
Draft-eligible forward Elton Hermansson opened the season with a strong showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Building on that performance, he earned a chance with MoDo’s senior team during the preseason. Despite impressing when given the opportunity, he started the regular season with the junior team. Hermansson was later called up to the pro lineup after the senior squad struggled early on, and his arrival has been just what MoDo hoped for. On Friday, he added two more points, giving him four goals and seven points through eight games.
Elton Hermansson’s Breakout Night
A future star shined bright last night. Top
prospect Elton Hermansson had two goals and an assist as MoDo beat Troja in
Sweden’s second tier. He showed great chemistry with <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals">Washington Capitals</a>
prospect <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/players/washington-capitals-prospect-excels-in-sweden">Milton Gästrin</a>, who also stood out.