Nils Bartholdsson – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile – The Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

Nils Bartholdsson

2025-26 Team: Rogle BK (U18/U20 Nationell)
Date of Birth: April 25, 2008
Place of Birth: Halmstad, SWE
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 179 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Winger
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

Nils Bartholdsson is a Swedish right winger who plays for Rogle BK at the U18 and U20 Nationell levels. He is known for his heavy, powerful shot and is stellar at board battles. He operates with a creative hockey brain and consistently generates good looks for himself and his teammates. He tends to be more of a goal-scorer than a playmaker.

This season, he played 40 games with Rogle BK across their U18 and U20 teams. The forward totaled an impressive 55 points (31 goals, 24 assists) in the regular season. He had a standout performance in the team’s playoff run as well by posting 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in nine games. He was called up to help Rogle in their postseason at the Swedish Hockey League level, but he did not tally any points across three games.

Bartholdsson played in a handful of international competitions, as well, including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, World Junior A Challenge (WJAC), and the Svenska Cupen U20. His best performance came in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he had two goals and four assists for six points in five games. His efforts helped Sweden secure a silver medal in the competition.

While he has a powerful shot and creative puck moves, he needs to work on his playmaking and skating abilities before he is NHL-ready. He looks good at a junior level and stands out among European skaters, but compared to the draft class as a whole, Bartholdsson will need further skill development.

Nils Bartholdsson – NHL Draft Projection

The right winger will likely be picked up somewhere in the third round of the draft this year. He is typically projected in the range of 75th-90th overall and will go to a team that has the time and resources to develop a young player. He would fit well on a team looking for a skilled, offensively-minded winger to add to their young core in a few seasons.

Other Draft Profiles

Quotables

“Bartholdsson was among Sweden’s most consistent advantage creators in the offensive zone at [the U18 Five Nations Tournament]. He was setting up his linemates from the boards with impressively creative feeds, and should’ve had more goals than the one he had based on the number of quality chances he ended up generating for himself. – Janik Beichler, Elite Prospects

“Bartholdsson is a deep-tier prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. Swedish winger in Rogle’s J20. Good size and a heavy shot. Competes well in board battles. Feet are a concern at the NHL level. Nils is a prospect to watch for teams with strong development pipelines and patience for a longer NHL timeline. Scouts compare Nils’s game to Anthony Mantha lite.” – HockeyMockDraft

Strengths

• Strong, accurate shot
• Successful board battles
• Creative player

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

• Needs to work on skating abilities and speed
• Needs to improve playmaking abilities

NHL Potential

Bartholdsson has NHL potential after some continued development. A team that is willing to invest time and resources into him could find itself with a valuable middle-six forward in a few seasons. He is high-shooting and high-scoring, which is a coveted skill at any level of hockey. After being given some time and space to grow and develop his skills, the Swedish winger could fit in well in two different NHL scenarios: a team full of veterans that can mentor and improve his game, or a young, up-and-coming team of which he can grow alongside.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 7/10 Defense- 3/10

Awards/Achievements

• 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Silver Medal
• 2025 World Junior A Challenge Bronze Medal

Interviews/Links

Nils Bartholdsson Stats

Videos