2025 NHL Draft Player Profile: Max Westergard

2024-25 Team: Frölunda HC (J20 Nationell, Swedish Hockey League)
Date of Birth: Sep 3, 2007
Place of Birth: Tampere, Finland
Height: 5-feet-11 Weight: 165 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing

Max Westergard is one of the youngest draft-eligible players in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Especially given his age, his production has been impressive this season. His consistent production allowed him to play within the Frölunda organization at various levels and make his first start in the Swedish Hockey League. With his various Frölunda teams, he produced 63 points (22 goals, 41 assists) this past season, shining on the assist and making plays time and time again.

Westergard represented his birth country, Finland, internationally on their U18 team and in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He produced 26 points in 28 games with Finland U18 and scored three goals in four games in the Gretzky Cup.

Scouting Report

Max Westergard is most known for his consistent offensive production. He has notably good vision, stellar skills, and fast skating ability. His point-per-game rate (1.22) was ahead of many other talk-of-the-town prospects such as Eddie Genborg, Milton Gästrin, Eric Nilson, Viktor Klingsell, and Arvid Drott. His keen offensive abilities got him called up to the Swedish Hockey League for both regular season games and for Frölunda’s playoff run. Though he did not make it onto the scoresheet in the regular season, he had a goal and two assists in the playoffs. Those games were valuable time at a more fast-paced, elite level of play and got more scouting eyes onto his game. He joined Ivar Stenberg (2026 draft-eligible), Marco Kasper, Kevin Fiala, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alexander Steen as one of the few to register at least three points in a single playoff run as an under-18 player within the SHL.

“Wherever Max Westergård goes, he finds ways to produce,” says Elite Prospects. “He’s a productive two-way winger whose offence flows through his off-puck instincts and ability to anticipate. He shows a strong inside drive in all situations, which helps his teammates, too, as he can give them space behind him. He goes in first in battles and is relentless in his will to win the puck.”

Westergård is creative– always finding ways to locate teammates for scoring chances– and he’s able to effectively battle along the boards to take possession of the puck and set up plays quickly. He is also both a shooting and passing threat, always getting in the high-danger areas and creating offense for himself, too. His skating speed has increased dramatically, which has been helpful off the rush or when playing defense.

Speaking of defense, it is one of Max Westergard’s areas of weakness. Because he is still undersized, he is not able to use his physicality as well as some of his peers. He’s highly active on the backcheck and continually tries to use his speed and force to get on defensive plays. With some physical development and continued growth, Westergard is likely to be a well-rounded player. An NHL team looking for a young forward who can produce consistently and develop with grit will find Max Westergard very valuable.