Rasmus Dahlin has a lot of hype behind him as we approach the 2018 NHL draft, and another famous Swedish defenseman just added some more.

Nicklas Lidstrom, the man many will argue is the greatest defenceman of all time, was asked about Dahlin and had a lot to say about the young prodigy. Many have actually compared Dahlin to Lidstrom, but that is always going to happen when a star defenseman from Sweden emerges onto the scene. Even Anton Stralman was compared to Lidstrom at one point.

Lidstrom had a different comparison. Uffe Bodin of Elite Prospects translated an interview from hockeysverige.se in which Lidstrom compares his skill set to Brian Leetch.

“I instantly thought of is Brian Leetch and his skating, especially during his years with the (New York) Rangers, he also had the courage to skate with the puck, use his skating and take advantage of the space when he had the chance…

I can see the similarities between how they play.”

As Bodin points out in his article, Leetch isn’t Lidstrom, be he’s also no slouch. Leetch is of course a hall of fame defender, but he is also one of only eight defenseman to score over a point-per-game in his career.

In reality, Dahlin will probably be a totally unique player when he makes his way to the NHL. Of course he has some elite talent with the puck, but he is also prone to using his body more than both of the players he’s been compared to in the past.