Ron Hextall said he wanted a goalie. He picked a goalie.
With the 70th pick in the 2015 NHL draft, the Philadelphia Flyers have selected Felix Sandstrom of Brynas in the Swedish Elite League. ESPN’s Corey Pronman had Sandstrom ranked as the top goalie in this draft, but as you’ll see below, he hasn’t played a ton of hockey in recent years due to injury.
Here’s the scouting report on Sandstrom from Pronman.
Sandstrom missed chunks of the season due to various ailments, after he came into the season as a top prospect. This lack of playing time has led to divisive stances within the industry, with some scouts claiming he’s clearly good enough to go in the top two rounds and others stating he’s more of a middle-round selection. Sandstrom has shown advanced play for several seasons and has impressive raw tools. He moves pretty well for a player his size, while not being erratic. His goaltender IQ grades high, as he tracks the puck pretty well and stays ahead of the play. Sandstrom is a roll of the dice, as its not outside the realm of possibility that he’s in the NHL within three or four years, but his lack of playing time could scare teams.
Here are his stats:
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