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As per the Edmonton Oilers official Twitter account:
The #Oilers have loaned defenceman Philip Broberg to Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 20, 2020
The 19-year-old had 8 points in 45 games as a rookie with Skellefteå during the 2019-20 campaign & was on Edmonton's Return To Play roster this summer. pic.twitter.com/1czfQHQHVI
Broberg (2019 8th Overall), currently ranked #2 in Lowetide’s latest Top 20 Oilers prospects list, will return to the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK for the third season running.
Last year, Broberg posted a modest 1-7-8 in 45 GP his D+1 season after a similarly modest 2-7-9 in 41 GP in his draft year as an 18 year old in Sweden’s top league.
More recently, Broberg turned some heads at this year’s Return to Play training camp, with some local MSM guys slotting him ahead of Evan Bouchard based on a couple of practice scrimmages. His debut against NHL competition was less flattering, but he’s certainly a gifted skater. There is gap between where he’s at and where he needs to be right now, but another trip through the SHL should only help his development.
Right now I believe the expectation is that Broberg will return to Edmonton when training camp for the 2020-21 season opens.
Here’s what Lowetide had to say about last year’s first round pick:
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Further, reports broke earlier this morning that Raphaël Lavoie would be heading to the SHL as well after striking a loan deal with Rögle BK. Unfortunately, as of publishing there have been no announcements from the organization or its most connected people to make it official official, but he’s done an interview with le Quotidien and confirmed it himself.
In the meantime, as per le Quotidien sportswriter Dave Ainsley:
L'attaquant Raphaël Lavoie veut jouer au hockey et ce sera en Suède qu'il le fera et non dans la LHJMQ avec les Sags https://t.co/ixgkHivuow
— daveainsley (@daveainsley) August 20, 2020
In the linked article in the above tweet — which Google has poorly translated for me — Lavoie (2019 38th Overall) said he didn’t want to go nine months without playing competitively, which only makes sense given the uncertainties still facing the AHL right now. Even the 2020-21 NHL season is far from guaranteed to start in December as things stand today. The United States reported over 40,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday.
Lavoie came in at #3 in Lowetide’s Top 20 list, and split last season between the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) — where he put up 18-26-44 in 30 GP — and Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) where he went nuclear and added 20-18-38 in only 25 GP.
Unlike Broberg, Lavoie expects to spend the full season in the SHL first, and then join the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors (if possible) afterwards.