We’ve talked about Calle Rosén, we’ve discussed Philip Holm, and every once in a while someone will pipe up with “Why not Sebastian Aho?” (they mean the Swedish defender, not the Carolina Hurricane.)  The NHL seems poised to strip the SHL of defencemen.

Report from Sweden claims Leafs about to sign Philip Holm
UPDATED: Even more rumours link Calle Rosén to the Leafs
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McKenzie: Vatanen may be odd man out in Anaheim

A few years ago it was Skellefteå that got mined for gold by the NHL.  Rosén and Holm play for Växjö, who also have Eric Martinsson on defence who might get some attention, and now it’s HV71 who is said to be losing a defender to the NHL.

This doesn’t seem to be a rumour, rather a matter of fact.  Andreas Borgman’s team has announced that he has broken his contract with them and has an NHL deal:

Andreas Borgman came to HV71 before last season and was the team's best defenders in the golden season. He was also awarded the "Rookie of the Year" at the SHL Awards. Now it is clear that Andreas has a contract with an NHL club and therefore leaves HV71.

Borgman isn’t saying which team it is with.

“I've had a great year in HV71 and have been extremely well received by all of the club and the city from day one. Now the opportunity to sign a contract with an NHL team turned up, and it's a boyhood dream come true,” says Andreas Borgman.

In his debut season in the SHL, Borgman accounted for 15 points in 45 league games, and in the playoffs, he was one of the team's hottest players with his ten points in 14 games.

Borgman is another lefty.  There just don’t seem to be any righties anywhere in the world.  But he is only 21. He is listed at six feet and 205 pounds, and he sounds like a very good prospect for a team looking for a player willing to spend some time in the AHL if he needs it.  He leapt from the Allsveskan last year right onto a top team and helped them win the championship.

This is like a deck of cards being dealt out. All these defenders, and seemingly every team in the NHL looking for help there.  If the Leafs are in on any of these players, or all of them, what they would be adding is depth.  Nobody is suggesting that a top pairing unicorn is hiding in the forests of Sweden.  Well, they are, but they mean Rasmus Dahlin and he’s going in next year’s draft.

What you get with a lot of extra young potential defenders who fit in the five-to-eight range on your depth chart is competition for jobs, flexibility to make trades and a better chance of success.  It’s a bulk purchase.  And I like it.  I just really wish there was a bulk buy of centres coming along too.

So who has Borgman?  Guess right and you win a prize.  (There is no prize but your own smugness.)

Which NHL team has landed this defender?

The Leafs have them all! None for anyone else!975
The evil Tampa Bay Lightning will get one.51
The Flyers got him. 20
The Sens didn’t, they aren’t that smart.73
Anaheim picked him. They’re going to run 10F and 8D next year.22
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