Edstrom ‘Sponge’ in development camp with the Golden Knights

Las Vegas — When David Edstrom Earlier this month, he participated in the Vegas Golden Knights’ development camp, where the No. 32 pick in the 2023 NHL draft compared the Nevada desert to his native Sweden.

“It’s much hotter than Sweden,” said the 18-year-old center prospect with a smile.

Obvious observations aside, Edstrom impressed in camp with his willingness to absorb knowledge from coaches and teammates.

“He’s a sponge,” Brendan Brisson said. “We started talking and, you know, one of the first things he asked me was, ‘What’s the best advice for me after playing pro for a year?’ I strongly urged him to act at once.

Will Nichol, director of player development for the Golden Knights, also quickly became a big fan of Edstrom. He cited his size and height (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) as two intangibles to go along with his mindset to develop as a player.

“I really like it,” Nicole said. “No wonder. (Vegas assistant director of players) Bob Laws and his staff do a great job in the draft. It doesn’t surprise me that I like Eddie.”

“He’s got a good level of competition. He’s really eager to learn and get better. That’s a really important part of his development, so I’m excited to continue working with him, but this week we’ve got a really good foundation to go forward with.”

Edström spent the last two seasons with Frolunda of the Swedish Junior League, scoring 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in 59 games. Last season, he was promoted to Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League and had four points (two goals and two assists) in 11 games.

Although Edstrom is unlikely to make the roster for the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights this season, he remains positive that he will one day play for the big club. Until then, Edstrom is expected to return to the SHL, focusing on improving his game. Recognized by his coaches as a strong two-way center, he understands that his biggest improvements will come from the physical aspects of his game.

“I have to work on skating and explosiveness in the gym,” he said. “I also get feedback on what I need to work on, what I’m good at, so I can take that home to Sweden and work on that.”