The size questions followed Björck to the podium, and Winnipeg bet against them at eighth overall. At 5-9 and 181 pounds he is undersized, but he spent his entire draft year in the SHL rather than junior, held his own for 15 points in 42 games against men at 18, and then produced nine points in seven games on Sweden’s first World Junior gold run since 2012 while taking faceoffs and killing penalties. He wins on processing and motor, reading plays a step early, supporting the puck constantly, hunting loose pucks, and competing in the dirty areas most small forwards avoid, with a shot accurate and deceptive enough to live on a power play. Corey Pronman of The Athletic wrote that no one would be surprised if Björck is one of the best forwards in this class three years from now.

Bjork was selected eighth overall by the Jets. He may be small but he is one of the best forwards in the draft.

He is signed with Djurgården for 2026-27, so he develops in the SHL rather than the AHL, and the Jets get the second-line center behind Mark Scheifele they have chased for years. Fantasy value comes from playmaking, power-play volume and the peripherals a high-motor pivot piles up.

Preliminary Rankings- Björck is an extremely intelligent forward out of Sweden who put up a record-breaking DY-1 season. He plays the game in a smooth, effortless way, always two steps ahead and anticipating plays better than anyone else on the ice. While not overly explosive, he’s quick, agile, and slippery in tight spaces. At first glance, Björck might not wow you, since much of his offense comes from subtly exposing mistakes rather than overpowering opponents with speed or dekes. Many scouts worry about his size and tendency to avoid the middle, but cracking an SHL lineup could quiet a lot of those concerns.