One NHL scout ended our conversation about Viggo Bjorck by mentioning the catch. "...But he's only 5-foot-8, maybe 5-foot-9 in a good pair of shoes," they said. Scouts and prospect experts are eager to talk about all of the positives in the NHL draft prospect's game, but it often ends with a comment about his size, warranted or not. It's a reality for Bjorck, and he knows it. That's why the Swedish center uses his size to his advantage, making him one of the top pivots in the 2026 draft class. "I've always been the smaller guy," Bjorck said. "I've learned to find advantages and make better plays because of it. I work harder than guys bigger than me, and that's how I win battles. Once the puck is on my stick, I don't think I've ever really let my size affect what I do." Bjorck game footage courtesy of Sportway Bjorck's understanding of his size allows him to be successful at the pro level. He earned more and more ice time as the season went on with Djurgarden in the Swedish League. The SHL club with a long, storied history has willingly embraced its youth over the last few years, with Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks] prospect Anton Frondell and New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders] prospect Victor Eklund playing massive roles over the last few years. As the season progressed, Bjorck became a crucial part of that group. Excelling as the top-line center down the stretch, Bjorck answered seemingly every question about his size and game. He played against men, generated offensive chances and showcased his high-end IQ at both ends of the ice. "Down the stretch, Djurgarden played him as a first-line center in the SHL, and that's the same player who broke the all-time point record in (Sweden's U-20 league) just one year ago, despite only being 16," one SHL scout told The Hockey News. The offensive prowess Bjorck showed a year ago is exactly why this year is as impressive as it was. He adapted his game at the professional men's level while still showing the intuitive and creative offensive skill that made him a scoring machine against junior-aged players. His nine points in seven games at the World Junior Championship showed he didn't lose his scoring touch against those closer to his age as well. Bjorck was a key member of the Swedish world junior squad, finishing seventh in tournament scoring as a 17-year-old. What made his performance all the more impressive is that he was the team's top-line center throughout the tournament. When a big faceoff had to be taken, it wasn't Anton Frondell, Jack Berglund or Eric Nilson that took it. It was Bjorck, the youngest player on the team, who was in the dot. At the end of the game, whether they were defending a lead or needed a goal, Bjorck hopped over the boards for Sweden. In the world junior final, Bjorck cleared the puck out of the defensive zone, sending fellow draft prospect Ivar Stenberg in alone for the gold medal-sealing goal. "What is it that you want from a center that makes you look at his size?" asked the SHL scout. "You want a player to able to win the puck in any way possible, all over the ice. You also want a player that can protect the puck when he has it on the stick. Viggo checks all that." Bjorck's game has developed quite a bit over the last couple of years. His understanding of what to do without the puck has turned into a genuine strength. His intuition on the forecheck and understanding of which routes to take to cut off the escape routes are impressive. Despite his size, he's a strong kid, and he's more than willing to finish his checks, using his quickness to get into the face of opposing players. In his own end, Bjorck's defensive reads have become a major strength. Bjorck has focused on the defensive side this year because if he wants to find success at the NHL level one day, he knows he needs to make a two-way impact at his size. "Who doesn't like putting up points? You can't cheat the defensive game, though," Bjorck said. "You have to have the trust of the coaches, or you aren't going to play against men in the SHL." BJORCK GOES GLOBAL NHL scouting staffs are getting a first-hand look at just how effective Bjorck can be against NHL players at the World Championship, where he's playing on the top line for Sweden alongside Stenberg and Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] star Lucas Raymond. Bjorck put up six points in seven games heading into the quarterfinal. Much like the world juniors, though, his impact has been far greater than what has shown up on the scoresheet. Bjorck was arguably the top line's best player against Canada in the opening game of the tournament, going head-to-head with Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] star center Ryan O'Reilly in the faceoff dot and more than holding his own. He showed so many intelligent traits throughout the game, including a faceoff win and then a pick of O'Reilly that allowed the puck to get around the zone, where Raymond scored to tie the game. The rule has always been that to be a center in the modern NHL, you have to be just about six-foot. There are special players just under that mark, such as Sidney Crosby, Nick Suzuki and Brayden Point, who are listed at 5-foot-11, but they are exceptions to the rule. Crosby, in particular, is a player Bjorck looks up to. He admits that it's hard for anyone to play just like the all-time great and future Hockey Hall of Famer, but he doesn't see anyone else in the NHL who provides a better example for a young player to strive towards. No one talks about Crosby's height when they discuss his game – they just talk about his impact. If there's anything he wants to take from Crosby's game, Bjorck wants to make sure the same is true when people talk about his game. "I'm a center," Bjorck said. "My game is best down the middle because it allows me to play in the middle and make an impact at both ends of the ice." The thought of taking an undersized center who doesn't become the exception to the rule is a scary one, particularly high in the draft. NHL scouts have expressed confidence in his skill set but worry about his stature. "We've talked about him a lot this year," said a scout from an Eastern Conference team. "He's arguably the most complete center in the draft class. He has everything you want except those three or four inches." THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE The NHL draft is an imperfect science under the best of circumstances. Hoping a player has another growth spurt at 18 makes things a bit tougher. There is reason to have hope, though. His brother, Wilson, was the same size as Viggo in his draft year. He got drafted in his second year of eligibility, and now, he's almost 6-foot-1. If there is similar growth in store for Viggo, he could be the steal of the draft if he falls outside of the top few picks. If Bjorck falls, there will be plenty of debate about the teams that passed on him once Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are off the board. Specifically, we will be looking at the teams that took centers and whether Bjorck should have been their guy. Much like at the 2022 NHL draft, when Lane Hutson fell into the second round despite having an incredible impact, we could be talking about Bjorck in a similar light. Being a second-round pick seems like a stretch for Bjorck, but if he goes in the middle or late first round, there will surely be teams that regret it – just as there are teams that wish Hutson was on their team. Bjorck is ultimately motivated to prove that he's also a member of the "exception to the rule" club. It will take some faith from a team early in the NHL draft, but it very well could be the ultimate reward in a draft class that sorely lacks elite-level centers. If things work out the way many think they can, Bjorck could be the elite center NHL teams covet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/66c2f279-4757-4cb9-90a1-de296e3a65a6.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*v5rozm*_ga*NDAxOTY4NTMuMTc1NTg5NTA0Mg..*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3Nzc4MTkwMTIkbzQyMSRnMSR0MTc3NzgxOTY0MiRqNDgkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
