Maja Nylen Persson is one of the top defenders available in the 2024 PWHL Draft. The Swedish star will bring a blend of offensive talent and mobility to the league next year.
Maja Nylen Persson is one of the top defenders available in the 2024 PWHL Draft. The Swedish star will bring a blend of offensive talent and mobility to the league next year.
Maja Nylen Persson has been one of the top offensive defenders in Europe in recent seasons. The 23-year-old Swedish blueliners has scored more than a point per game the past three seasons with Brynas, who she captained this year.
In that span, Nylen Persson recorded 133 points in only 103 games, impressive numbers for a defender.
The right shot blueliner has a pinpoint shot from the blueline, where she makes good decisions with the puck and finds lanes. Her on ice vision is high end allowing Nylen Persson to draw pressure to herself and then distribute the puck.
As a two-time Olympian and member of Sweden's senior national team since 2017, Nylen Persson is seasoned beyond her years, and comes into the PWHL with years of professional experience, including multiple campaigns with legalized body checking in the SDHL.
Defensively, Nylen Persson's mobility allows her to effectively close gaps to take away time and space from her opponents, using her stick and body positioning the defend as often as contact. With that approach, she rarely finds herself in the penalty box.
On the breakout, Nylen Persson can often be seen dictating the pace of the game with the puck on her stick. From the offensive blueline in, she finds openings to slide in from the blueline and attack making her a dangerous option, without giving up coverage on her own side of the puck.
After a year with little defensive depth, Nylen Persson will be a hot commodity and immediate upgrade in the PWHL.