Robin Galante Nilsson Scouting Report

[RomanesEuntDomus 442]

Robin Galante Nilsson Scouting Report

 

With the S77 VHL Entry Draft in the books and many fresh young stars getting ready to enter the league, we thought this might be a good opportunity to look back at some of their peers who started that same journey a year ago, what their expectations were and how they have fared since… And the first player we’ll be looking at for this series is Robin Galante Nilsson, the Defenseman out of Sweden.

 

Galante Nilsson entered the VHLM in the off-season prior to S75, giving him plenty of development time to become one of the better and more polished prospects of his class. While he was lucky to join up early, he was not lucky enough to find himself a team that could offer him playoff ice time for the rest of the season, so Nilsson spent the playoffs watching the games from home even though the Houston Bulls had taken him on as a member of their practice squad. Robin enjoyed his time with the Bulls but if you don’t actually get to hit the ice and play in competitive games with a team then you never fully feel like a member of it, so the young Swede was happy when he finally found a “real” home in the S75 VHLM Draft when the Philadelphia Reapers picked him up.

 

Philly had gone into the draft with a ton of picks and they emerged out of it with lots of good players and as one of the favourites for the Founder’s Cup that season. Such an environment allowed Galante Nilsson to flourish, the Reapers possessed both a highly competitive squad and a good team spirit with a locker room that had a few quite experienced players for their young age who were able to help a rather raw prospect like Robin out in finding his game.

 

 

Robin’s first season in North America ended up being a successful one, after a very hot start his scoring slowed down a bit, but he still finished the season with 44 points in 72 games and strong defensive metrics and was indeed able to crown his season with the Founder’s Cup. Robin’s biggest focus in his first (and ultimately only) junior season was to be as consistent and reliable as possible, not necessarily going for the big hits or rocket shots from the point, but being an anchor for his team that can drive possession and gain an advantage through strong skating and his game sense. His quick feet and good passing were two of the main strengths that scouts identified in Nilsson prior to the S76 VHL Draft.

 

On the flip side, the physical part of his game, both in terms of raw strength and checking prowess remained rather underdeveloped throughout the year and as a result, his shot wasn’t especially powerful either for a Defenseman who is expected to fire Clappers from the point occasionally. Still, his strong defensive instincts propelled Galante Nilsson into potential first round pick territory and at the end of the day, that is indeed where he ended up when the Vancouver Wolves selected him 10th Overall in the S76 VHL Entry Draft!