Red Wings Future Stars: Christoffer Ehn

Christoffer Ehn was drafted 106th overall by the Red Wings in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Since his draft date, the 6’3″ center has been playing in various Swedish junior hockey leagues. As of the 2018-19 season, Ehn is expected in Grand Rapids to play with the Griffins for development. Along with several other draft selections from this year and years past, Ehn will be needing to prove his worth in the North American league.

Ehn has had steady numbers throughout his junior hockey years. Though not a superstar point-producer like select few, Ehn is consistent with his time on the ice. Like many junior international athletes, he was loaned to other teams/leagues frequently. Ehn spent much of junior career floating between several Swedish leagues but was able to make a tangible impact with every team.

Christoffer hasn’t hit the pros yet. With the draft selections of this season looking to be quite promising, as well as the last few season’s draftees joining the Griffins, Ehn will have to fight for ice time.

From his draft year, 2014, till now, however, Ehn has played in 265 regular season games for the Swedish international leagues. In that time, he has tallied 102 points. He’s proven to be a strong center on the international stage but may have a struggle earning ice time, but if and when he does, he’s sure to make it worthwhile.

Ehn is a big kid. Though he’s just 22 years old, and won’t get taller but will certainly fill-out his weight while with the Griffins. He’s 181 lbs, which is shy of the coveted 200lb mark for one his size. However, he uses his body well despite being a little lighter than some.

Ehn was invited to the Detroit Red Wings Prospect Tournament in years past and impressed Red Wings staff with his quickness and ability to get to the net. He’s agile and was able to adjust quickly to the ice surface difference and the playing style. He’s a quick learner and takes instruction well. He’s a pretty calm guy, so you won’t find him duking it out very often, unless necessary. He remains very composed and doesn’t allow mistakes to upset his confidence.

He needs to improve a bit more in his play-making ability. He’s got all the pieces to make a star but gets a little helter-skelter with his shooting. His accuracy has room for improvements as well, but once it does, he’ll be a sniper.

Ehn has potential, there’s no doubt about that. Whether it’s with the Wings or not is questionable given that they’re aiming to go in a significantly more offensive-focused direction. Ehn has the ability to be that style of player, but it remains to be seen if he can at a pro level as opposed to juniors. If he’s able to get ice time with the Griffins, he’ll need to impress quite quickly in order to hold the attention of the coaching staff.

He shows a lot of promise and is an extremely hard worker on the ice and undoubtedly off-ice as well. Ehn is strong and has the ability to grow stronger, which will make his job at the center that much more effective. In time, he could potentially be crafted into a more multi-purpose player at center and on the wing. If he is able to reign in his shot a bit more effectively this season, he will give his game a major boost.