An excerpt from NHL.com (Shawn P. Roarke):
But nothing Hedman does this week will impact his stock too much. He already has proven to many scouts that he is a potential franchise defenseman. Hedman is a mobile, 6-foot-6 defenseman who already is drawing comparisons to NHL standout Chris Pronger. At 17, he was playing full-time for MoDo in Sweden’s Elite League, a rarity in a league considered to be not that far removed from the caliber of the NHL. This season, he will see even more ice time with the senior team.
Hedman can already dominate a game with his brawn, skill set and hockey smarts. He is already far ahead of any other player for the No. 1 ranking among draft-eligible Europeans.
Hence the talk of Hedman being in contention for the No. 1 pick in the Entry Draft come this June. Two years ago, that prestigious No. 1 slot was the sole province of Tavares, the high-scoring forward who has re-written the Ontario Hockey League record book while playing for the Oshawa Generals.