Avalanche Select Joachim Nermark

With the 4th round (93rd overall) pick, the Avalanche selected another Swede in Joachim Nermark. Nermark is a 6'1", 187-lb center from Linköpings HC Jrs. He tallied 8 goals and 18 assists in 37 games. He also spent some time in the SEL for Linköpings' senior team where, in 12 games, he recorded one assist. The 18-year-old was the tournament scoring leader in the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament with five goals and six assists in five games as the Swedes took home the Bronze. Fitting the Avalanche mold, Nermark shows those intangibles, including a strong work ethic and leadership qualities. For more on the Avs' 4th round pick, here's an interview courtesy of Copper and Blue.

Prospect report per Hockey Prospectus who predicted he'd go at 89):

Joachim Nermark exploded offensively in the summer Ivan Hlinka tournament and had a surging stock in the early months, but as the draft season progressed his performance left a lot to be desired, especially with how he did at the Under-18's. He's a pro-average skater, who moves pretty fluidly and has improved that aspect of his game from the previous season. He's solid on the puck, relying more on protection and passing skills than dekes, but does show a good move here and there. His offense is at its best when he has the puck, has time to see the ice and can make plays. His physical game is decent, and will be able to be average at that aspect at the highest level size-wise, and does display a good work ethic in the physical areas and staying tight on his check. Nermark's hockey sense though is fringe, and it really hurts his value. He disappears on the ice for stretches not for a lack of hustle, but just gets lost in the action. He makes poor decisions with the puck, often trying to do too much, and is often a victim of poor positioning. He has the skill to be one of the better forward prospects to come out of Europe this year, but the team that takes him will be going off tales of great performances and a hope of better things to come, because it looks like he has to run into the chances for his offense to take over.

Review of his performance in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament by DobberHockey:

The revelation of the Hlinka, 6’0, 179 lbs pivot Joachim Nermark led the whole tournament- never mind a deep Swedish offense that dominated the leaderboard- in points. However, it’s not a complete shock; a regular on every U18 edition of Tre Kronor last year, Nermark managed to be a reliable contributor with nineteen points in 25 U18 and U17 games.

Nermark stood out for three reasons: smooth, agile skating, his relentless pursuit of the puck in the so-called dirty areas, and an extremely soft, accurate passing touch. Although not all that big, his willingness to battle for position was on display almost every shift. Like late U18 standout Johan Larsson last season, He’ll be an interesting player to watch as the games get bigger throughout the year.