2002 NHL Entry Draft

ERIC NYSTROM

CALGARY • ROUND: 1 OVERALL: 10

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Previous Team: University of Michigan (CCHA)

Pre-Draft Rankings

NHL Central Scouting: 13  Midterm Rank: 11

The Hockey News: 15    Red Line Report: 22

Vital Statistics

Position: LW • Height: 6-1 • Weight: 195 • Shoots: Left
Birthdate: Feb. 14, 1983 • Hometown: Syosset, N.Y.

Pre-Draft Notes

Central Scouting Report: A good skater with a smooth powerful stride ... strong on his skates and hard to knock off his skates ... has a hard wrist shot with a quick release ... has a good scoring touch ... a smart player with solid passing skills ... is very good two-way player who knows his responsibilities and plays a sound positional game ... effective in power play and penalty kill situations ... an intelligent player with good hockey sense ... plays aggressively along the boards and in the corners ... stands his ground in front of the opposition's net and will sacrifice himself to make the play ... a reliable player and a tenacious forechecker.

THN Draft Preview: Like father, like son. Scouts are hoping Eric Nystrom has inherited some of the gene pool that worked so well for his father, former NHLer Bob Nystrom, who made a career of being a buzzsaw for 14 seasons with the New York Islanders. And the early indications are positive. Nystrom has a smooth, powerful stride. His wrist shot is better than average, but the plus is he gets it off very quickly. He's aggressive along the boards, which is where he does his best work. Nystrom is strong on the wall and is hard to knock off his feet. He does well at both ends, getting to the openings in the offensive zone, and has shown to be responsible at coming back to his end. This season, he became only the second Michigan freshman to post a four-point game, joining Mike Comrie, who accomplished the feat in 1998-99.

Red Line Report: The ever-improving Nystrom has worked exceptionally hard to improve his skating and touch around the net since we first saw him three years ago (and what else would you expect given his bloodlines?). Like his father, Eric's gritty, competitive style gives him a penchant for coming up with big plays at crunch time in the playoffs. He's very tenacious and, though we keep saying he's not a natural sniper and doesn't have great hands, he scored 18 goals (including five game-winners) as a freshman, placing him second among all first-year collegians. Has good balance and likes physical contact. Is relentless in pursuit and always around the puck. Creates chances off a high-pressure forecheeck. Has very good natural hockey sense and works hard in all three zones. Owns the walls down low.
Projection: 3rd line character guy for top contender. Style compares to Shane Doan.

Pre-Draft Quotes

I like his work ethic and obviously the competitiveness that goes along with that. I like his size, and he has a mental and physical toughness to him, but he's under control, he's a smart player. He's got a good feel for the game without the puck, and he also anticipates well when someone else has the puck. He's a good two-way player, a solid citizen-type player. ... He's been a hard worker, a physical player, very responsible defensively. He blocks shots, he kills penalties as well as anyone, and takes the punishment in front of the net to play a role on the power play. He's a good team player and he's got a good attitude. He's a fun player to coach. I think he'll become a great two-way player and a great leader on this team. He's just going to get better because he works so hard and he's got a good attitude, and I think he's very coachable. When you get a kid like that, you never want to put any limitations on him.

-- Red Berenson, Head Coach, University of Michigan

He is a pro. He competes. For a guy who is as big as he is now, he is an above average skater. he could become a good power forward.

-- Anonymous NHL Scout, Hockey News Draft Preview

I hope Bob doesn't take this the wrong way, but I think Eric has a little bit more skill than his dad, but he plays with the same drive and intensity about the game.

-- Mike Eaves, Head Coach, U.S. NTDP