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Carolina Hurricanes: A Look Into the Development of Jesper Sellgren

By Alex Ohari

ROSEMONT, IL - JUNE 08: Charlotte Checkers defenseman Jesper Sellgren (32) controls the puck during game five of the AHL Calder Cup Finals between the Charlotte Checkers and the Chicago Wolves on June 8, 2019, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ROSEMONT, IL - JUNE 08: Charlotte Checkers defenseman Jesper Sellgren (32) controls the puck during game five of the AHL Calder Cup Finals between the Charlotte Checkers and the Chicago Wolves on June 8, 2019, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 02: Jesper Sellgren #23 of Sweden controls the puck against USA during a World Jr. Summer Showcase game at USA Hockey Arena on August 2, 2017 in Plymouth, Michigan. The USA defeated Sweden 3-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jesper Sellgren
DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 02: Jesper Sellgren #23 of Sweden controls the puck against USA during a World Jr. Summer Showcase game at USA Hockey Arena on August 2, 2017 in Plymouth, Michigan. The USA defeated Sweden 3-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jesper Sellgren /

Sellgren’s Pro Career

After being drafted, Sellgren moved from the Allsvenskan league up to the Swedish Elite League, as he’d clearly began to outclass the lower level. He moved on from the demised MODO program to Lulea HF, where he’s become something of a star player in his native Sweden.

Last year there, he scored 3 goals and 15 points in 52 games with the team, playing over 20 minutes a night for the 2nd-best team in the league. That’s extremely impressive for a 20-year old kid, but shows off that his maturity is far beyond his age. You notice that when you watch him play.

His hockey sense is extremely high. He’s got really good skating ability; his quick feet and acceleration make him very effective on the breakout and in the transition game. As a distributor, he’s very precise with his passing, and his patience limits his mistakes in that regard. He’s got a deceptively good wrist shot, which makes him a real threat as an attacker.

On the defense side of things, he’s got an effective stick and poke-check that allows him to break up rushes. His high hockey IQ gives him the ability to cut passing lanes, and he has a sense of being in the right place often. He likes to quickly transitions the puck up the ice after negating rushes, which leads to counterattacking opportunities for his team. Take a look here:

He’s back in Lulea this season, where he’s been putting together an awesome season after nearly making the Canes roster out of camp (more on that later!). In league play, he has 6 goals and 8 assists in 33 games, as well as a +17 rating. He’s spent a lot of time paired with Rangers 2018 1st-rounder Nils Lundkvist, and they’ve been one of the top pairings in that league this year.

He also put on a show in the Champions Hockey League, which consists of 32 of the top hockey clubs in Europe. Sellgren led his Lulea squad all the way to the Semi-Finals, with an exceptional display of 9 points in 10 games during the tournament against top-quality competition.

Moving to next season, he’ll likely find himself at home in the Hurricanes organization. If he can’t make the Canes roster out of camp, he’ll likely play in Charlotte, where Canes fans have already been treated to his play…..

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