Background Information: 
Söderberg is the son of three-time Swedish olympian Hanna Eklund, and has clearly inherited some innate athletic talent. He is the youngest of seven children, and has displayed strong character off the ice in his numerous community outreach activities in his hometown of Luleå, Sweden. He is currently participating in the S46 SMJHL Prospect Showcase tournament in Lethbridge, and will represent Sweden at the upcoming WJC. 

Scouting Report: 
Söderberg clearly has hands made for the game. It only takes some brief observation of his play to realize that decision-making, not execution, will probably be your main coaching focal point. If Söderberg knows what to do with the puck, he can be unstoppable. His dynamic puck handling ability allows him to generate scoring chances that many young players his age do not yet have the on-ice vision to create. 

During his current outing at the Prospect Showcase, he has also displayed some unexpected toughness, and has managed to produce 26 points as of the publication of this profile. At his age, having his kind of pure offensive power provides more opportunities to improve with the puck than without it, so he will need to develop more defensively and learn to backcheck more aggressively. He will also need to build some strength in order to maintain puck possession, especially against larger players as he is targeted as an offensive threat. It’s apparent that he’s been working to improve in these areas, but time will tell whether those adjustments will stick. 

His skating leaves very little to be desired; he is fast, and he displays an impressive level of agility. He will need to get stronger along the boards, but he has a knack for maneuvering out of tight situations thanks to his superior puck control. He is adaptable in positioning, and can easily flex between right and left wing to fit in where he is needed (he is listed at right wing, but will be playing at left in both the prospect showcase tournament and at world juniors).

Söderberg will not always satisfy the “shoot the puck” fans, but his creativity with the puck will give his teammates chances to score that they will not find anywhere else. His offensive prowess will make him an asset regardless of where he is drafted, and we expect to see a strong showing from him during his first season in the SMJHL. 

According to former coaches, he has a strong work ethic and takes direction well, which will hopefully lead to quicker improvement in his problem areas. 

Coaches’ Quotes:
“Gunnar knows he’s got natural talent, but the most enjoyable thing about coaching him was how easily he makes adjustments based on feedback. I coached him when he was fifteen, and at that age, you’ll usually give a kid seven things to work on and you’ll see improvement on maybe two or three of them right away. Gunnar would listen like I was giving him the word of god, and then he’d go out there and - bang bang bang, you could practically see the wheels turning as he ticked items off the list.” - Daniel Eriksson, Luleå HF J20 

“He’s always working. When he came down to play here, there was a little concern because he was younger than the other guys, whether he’d be aware of the kind of commitment we expect, but I’d find him on the ice as soon as they came in to turn the lights on in the morning. If anything, I’d say he needs to loosen up a little, but that balance of game and life, that comes later. Right now he’s all drive, and I think you have to use that as long as you can to push a player towards being the best he can be.” - Lars Berglund, MODO Hockey J20 

“I’m not sure there’s anything Gunnar can’t do once he puts his mind to it. I think that’s why it’s special that he’s put so much effort into becoming the playmaker he is, because I think if he’d wanted to go out there and be a top ten goal scorer, I think he could have given it a real shot, but he recognized his strengths early on and threw everything into that. There are a lot of guys that would expect the spotlight if they had his kind of ability, but he’s nothing but a team player through and through.” - Vincent Falk, IF Björklöven

Other Player Quotes:
“I remember seeing some movie about chess players, and how they see so many moves way ahead of time. Gunn’s like that. Sometimes it’s like he can see five moves further than the other guys. You’ll get where you’re going, and even if it’s not a play you’ve practiced, somehow he’s got the pass perfectly lined up. You’re like - does this guy know my moves better than I do?” - Elias Lundgren, teammate, Luleå HF J20

“If I had to pick between a grilled cheese sandwich and Gunnar Söderberg, I’d take the kid.” - Claude Giroux

“An amazing linemate, a better teammate, and an overall beaut” - Joseph Laraque, teammate, S46 Prospect Showcase (Blazers)

“If I tell you he’s the best winger I’ve ever played with, will you stop asking me these questions?” - Axel Matsson, Teammate, MODO Hockey J20

“Who?” - Sidney Crosby