The Bruins made their fourth and final pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, and it followed what seemed to be a trend for the team.
Boston on Saturday selected defenseman Loke Johansson with the 186th pick in the sixth round. the 6-foot-3, 201-pound blueliner played for AIK of HockeyAllsvenskan last season. The left-shot defenseman recorded one point in 19 games last season but has a reputation as a heavy, physical defender, according to Elite Prospects.
“A big-bodied defensive defenseman who already spent a lot of time playing against men in HockeyAllsvenskan; plays a simple brand of hockey but occasionally surprises on breakouts,” a profile on Elite Prospects read.
The team released a clip on its Instagram story from the 18-year-old, who was in active Sweden during the NHL draft, where he introduced himself to fans and expressed how he was looking forward to getting to work.
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“Loke Johanssen is a defensive defenseman from what I’ve heard,” Robert Chalmers of Cohen’s Hockey Media wrote on X. “Hits HARD, and is just known for his all around physicality. Had 59 (penalty minutes) in 33 games for the AIK Junior team.”
Size seemed to be the theme of the 2024 Bruins draft class, but unlike his Boston peers, Johanssen will not be playing college hockey in the fall.
These prospects obviously are projects for the future, and they’ll likely get a first-hand experience of life in the NHL at Bruins development camp next month.
Featured image via Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports Images
