NY Islanders prospect Malte Gustafsson compared to Blues’ top defenseman

The New York Islanders already know Matthew Schaefer has superstar potential.

The more intriguing question is what kind of NHL player Malte Gustafsson might become, and Scott Wheeler’s latest prospect tiers provided a pretty encouraging answer. The Athletic’s prospect analyst projects Gustafsson as a Tier 4 defenseman, a level that would put him on a path toward becoming a high-end, two-way NHL regular.

Wheeler praised Gustafsson for his combination of size, consistency, physicality, tools and overall impact, while acknowledging that there are still questions about just how much offense he will produce at the NHL level. Gustafsson runs the power play for Sweden’s 2008 age group, but Wheeler does not necessarily see him filling that type of role professionally.

His forward skating was also identified as an area that still needs refinement. Even with those caveats, Wheeler believes Gustafsson projects as an “excellent two-way D,” the type of player who typically lands in Tier 4.

The comparison Wheeler used should get Islanders fans’ attention. He pointed to St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg, who sits in Tier 4B in his current player rankings, as the level Gustafsson should be trying to reach. Broberg has developed into one of St. Louis’ most important defensemen and represents the kind of outcome that would make Gustafsson a major hit for the Islanders.

Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger recently gave his own assessment of Broberg, calling him a player with No. 2 defenseman upside rather than a true No. 1. “I think he’s a great skater, he’s got great instincts, and defends really, really well,” Pronger said, while noting that Broberg does not possess the same offensive upside as players such as Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar or Evan Bouchard.

That is hardly a negative comparison for Gustafsson. Not every defense prospect needs to become a power-play-driving superstar. If the Islanders can develop Gustafsson into a dependable, physical, mobile top-four defenseman capable of playing major minutes at both ends of the ice, they will have added another significant piece to a young blue line that already features Schaefer.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow