Malte Gustafsson is widely compared to NHL defensemen Kaiden Guhle and Braden Schneider.
The Columbus Blue Jackets found out where they would land in the upcoming NHL Draft, and to no one's surprise, they didn't win the lottery. For the second straight year, they will pick #14, and for the second straight year, they might actually get lucky.
Welcome to draft speculation season, where we will talk about all the potential draft targets for the CBJ. Could someone fall to them at #14, or will they reach for a player who is projected to be lower? Who know, but it's fun to speculate.
So, here we go.
Target: Malte Gustafsson - Väckelsång, SWE
Height/Weight: 6'4.25" - 200bs.
2026 Team: HV71 - SHL
Position: Left Shot Defenseman
2025-26 Stats With HV71: He had 3 points in 27 games in Swedens top league. With HV71 U20, he had 12 points in 19 games.
THN Ranking: 19th - Kennedy, 6th - Ferrari
NHL Central Scouting: Ranked 7th among International Skaters
What Scouts Have Seen
- Gustafsson's core identity revolves around his exceptional shutdown capabilities. He optimizes his massive 6'4" frame and long reach to disrupt rush opportunities and seal off the boards. Gustafsson's core identity revolves around his exceptional shutdown capabilities. He optimizes his massive 6'4" frame and long reach to disrupt rush opportunities and seal off the boards.
- Gustafsson's core identity revolves around his exceptional shutdown capabilities. He optimizes his massive 6'4" frame and long reach to disrupt rush opportunities and seal off the boards.
- He plays a very mature, low-risk transition game. He rarely struggles to exit his own defensive zone, using snappy, deliberate breakouts to hit forwards in stride.
Weaknesses & Areas for Development
- Offensive Ceiling: He is not a flashy, high-end point-producer. His shot mechanics, particularly his slapshot, remain underdeveloped. He projects more as a stay-at-home or two-way matchup defenseman rather than an offensive power-play quarterback.
- Relegation Context: Because his SHL club, HV71, battled heavy relegation pressure, his ice time fluctuated late in the season as the team relied on veterans. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
What Scouts Are Saying
SportsNet - "Gustafsson is a big body defender with room to add more weight and strength. I appreciate his skating mechanics and his overall presence in the defensive zone. He’s averaging over 23 minutes of ice time at the J20 level and is being deployed in all situations. I don’t envision Gustafsson providing anything more than secondary/depth offence, but he’s a fluid skater and capable distributor."
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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