Name: Morgan Anderberg
Drafted: Fifth Round, 134th overall
Bio: 18-years-old, right shot, Stockholm, Sweden, 5’11” lbs.
Position: Center
2025-26 Team: Vaxjo Lakers HC, SHL
Alright, now we’re back on track. With their fifth-round pick, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected a smaller center that is an absolute defensive menace. Anderberg earned the trust of his coaching staff as the season went on and was playing a third-line role on a good Vaxjo team. Not bad for an 18-year-old.
At first glance, a three-point season doesn’t jump out on the stat sheet, but Anderberg isn’t going to make it to the NHL by the way of goalscoring. If he ends up wearing the Lightning Bolt on his chest, it will be because of his defensive play, and that part of the game he excels at. The Stockholm native is an excellent skater and he uses that ability to hunt down pucks on the forecheck and pressure defenders into turnovers. Not only does he have wheels, he is a relentless hounder of the puck as well.
He’s not entirely bereft of offensive skills, and it will be interesting to see if his point totals increase in the upcoming season as he becomes more comfortable with his role on the team. It is worth noting he matched his regular season offensive output in just ten playoffs games. He has excellent vision on the ice and plays smart, creative hockey. His stickhandling skills are solid, but his shot isn’t overly impressive.
One of the benefits of scouting players in Europe, especially those playing in top-level leagues, is that they are doing it against older players. If Anderberg was putting up these points total In Kelowna against younger players, he probably doesn’t get drafted. The fact that he is holding his own in a league where he is one of the younger and smaller players boosts his profile a little bit. It doesn’t mean it will carry over to the NHL or even the AHL, but it is a good sign.
As he spends the next couple of seasons in Sweden, the Lightning will look to see if any of that offense develops, and if he can deal with the physical nature of the game. Not in the sense of throwing bone-rattling hits or beating people up, but being able to compete for puck battles or protect the puck when it’s on his stick. He relies a lot on stick-checking to win possession, and that won’t be as successful him at the NHL level.
He has the tools and raw skills to be a solid bottom-six forward at the pro level, but for it to be in the NHL Anderberg will have to tweak up the physical part of his game. Like a lot of the recent picks, he’s a longer term project, but there is a chance he can prove useful for the Crunch and Lightning.
