A well-rounded, two-way center…has a still-developing, yet strong, skating stride that produces surprising amounts of speed…solid agility and power in his still-thin legs…is not afraid to take the puck to the net or drive the crease without it, looking for a rebound opportunity…not flashy, but has skilled enough hands and strength to protect the puck as he moves through traffic…utilizes his teammates with his deft puck-distribution ability or just by utilizing them as decoys…can find seams and lanes through sticks and bodies to get pucks to teammates in prime scoring position…has good defensive awareness and is always in strong position to support the defense by applying back pressure…will pick up for teammates’ missed assignments…not physical, but will step into an opponent to separate the puck as well as battle for position deep in the offensive zone…has plenty of growth left in his game and could develop into a strong, playmaking, two-way center.

Watching a player such as Davidsson play among men in the Swedish League can sometimes create confusion for scouts, who often have to decide whether a young player is simply overmatched because of his age or if his production there should be raising red flags. Such is the situation with Davidsson, who didn’t look out of place in 45 games with Djugarden but didn’t do much to distinguish himself either. Davidsson is a two-way centre who is not a big kid but is solid and stocky. His most prominent attribute is his skating.

Marcus Davidsson started the season strong and was doing great the first half of the season in SHL. He was productive and stepped up and scored some big goals for his team at 18 years of age. He almost started to look as a slam dunk first round pick early on. Unfortunately, the second half of the season was not as good. After Christmas he contributed only one assist in 23 games in SHL. Being his first season at the highest senior level it does not cause much concern long term but it probably put him further down the rankings and allowed at least three or four other Sweden-based players to step ahead of him during the season. Davidsson is a smart offensive player that has shown to have top six potential. He reminds me a bit of Loui Eriksson in the sense that he is more of a quiet but smart player who can score points more than the guy who drives the offensive plays on his line.

Scouts I talk to overseas have one common description of Davidsson: smart. He’s a versatile player. He can play center or the wing effectively and play a role on both special teams. Davidsson skates at an above-average level, sometimes flashing a very high grade. He can make some offensive plays, but I wouldn’t describe him as a dangler — more as a quick decision-maker with decent vision. He’ll work hard to win pucks and projects to have value defensively as a pro.

A speedy pivot and an absolute assassin near the net, Davidsson gets too much grief for having a poor international tournament resume. He’s always been one of Sweden’s better prospects for the 2017 draft, and he played practically an entire season with Djugarden’s SHL club, potting five goal and nine points while average under 12 minutes a game. Davidsson’s instincts from the good side of the red line are excellent, but he’s not all that physical.

Watching a player such as Davidsson play among men in the Swedish League can sometimes create confusion for scouts, who often have to decide whether a young player is simply overmatched because of his age or if his production there should be raising red flags.