Ht/Wt: 6' 4"/207 lbs
Position: LHD
Team: Lulea HF (SHL)

William Hakansson's Player Profile

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - April 14th: "There’s absolutely no flash to his game. Instead, he uses his big 6-foot-4, 207-pound frame to flatten opponents while being a pain in the rear end defensively. He’s quite mobile for his frame, too. Håkansson’s lack of offensive awareness won’t help his draft stock, but I absolutely could see him becoming a solid shutdown defender in the NHL."

Will Scouch - Scouching.ca - April 13th: "He’s a player that brings more offensive potential to the game than you might think, with some good slot passing ideas that popped up once in a while off deceptive skill and fluid footwork on the blueline. He’s a dependable passer, an impactful defender, a confident puck carrier, and while he’s more advanced in age than others in this range, I think there’s a solid bottom four defenseman who might be able to do a solid job killing penalties and largely go unnoticed in a good way at the NHL level."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - March 17th: "He's athletic and plays a hard and physical style. He skates well, falling back onto his heels and his edges comfortably for a player his age and size. I like his pivots. He can occasionally get a little jumpy on both sides of the puck, but he can shoot it, pass it and walk the line."

Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - March 17th: "Hakansson fits the needs of almost all NHL organizations. He’s big, physical, a solid skater, and a prospect who plays within himself. He doesn’t stray away from his strengths. Hakansson projects as a top-four NHL defenceman who is best paired with an active partner (think Lane Hutson)."

Smaht Scouting - February 27th: "He can play with physicality, though he still needs to bring more consistency in that area and improve his decision-making when attacking puck recoveries in dangerous spots. He’s not a player who will fill the stat sheet, and his evaluation may be slightly impacted by limited point production, especially in an era where offensive output from defensemen is heavily valued, but his steadiness and consistent play continue to reflect well on him."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - February 25th: "He is a two-way defenceman whom I expect to add layers of offence as he matures and gains more experience. Currently, he defends well, pinning defenders low in the defensive zone and guarding the net-front with vigour. Once he has the puck, he makes smart decisions, whether waiting for breakout lanes to open or forcing the issue by transporting the puck."

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - February 23rd: "Hakansson has the size, the skating and the defensive habits to be a true shutdown defender at the next level, but he's been a bit up and down of late. He's adjusting to Sweden's second level, the Allsvenskan, since the world juniors. He's had some really nice moments, especially defensively."

William Hakansson's Stats

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