There is no definitive way to determine the best draft pick in the history of an NHL team, but there is no doubt Enstrom delivered great value as a late-round pick.
Few of the defensemen taken before the Atlanta Thrashers selected Enstrom in the eighth round (No. 239) in the 2003 NHL Draft have had careers to rival that of the Nordingra, Sweden, native. A smooth skater with great puck sense that helps him find teammates with pinpoint passes, Enstrom makes up for his 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame with great positioning and hockey smarts.
There is no definitive way to determine the best draft pick in the history of an NHL team, but there is no doubt Enstrom delivered great value as a late-round pick.
Few of the defensemen taken before the Atlanta Thrashers selected Enstrom in the eighth round (No. 239) in the 2003 NHL Draft have had careers to rival that of the Nordingra, Sweden, native. A smooth skater with great puck sense that helps him find teammates with pinpoint passes, Enstrom makes up for his 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame with great positioning and hockey smarts.
Enstrom arrived in the NHL as a rookie for the 2007-08 season, five years after he was Rookie of the Year in the Swedish Elite League. He immediately proved himself more than ready for North America. Enstrom got his first NHL point with an assist in his second League game on Oct. 6, 2007 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, scored his first NHL goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 23, 2007 and, on Nov. 21, 2007, had three assists against the Washington Capitals.
The NHL's Rookie of the Month for November 2007, Enstrom set a single-season Thrashers record for assists by a defenseman (33), tied the team record for points by a defenseman (38) and led all first-year NHL defensemen in scoring. He also played in the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game, was named to the All-Rookie Team and finished sixth in voting for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie.
The franchise leader in average ice time in three of his first four seasons, Enstrom set a franchise record by playing in 296 consecutive games from the start of the 2007-08 season through Jan. 22, 2011. In the 2009-10 season, Enstrom tied for sixth in scoring among NHL defensemen (50 points) while setting a single-season franchise record for assists by a defenseman (44).
The Thrashers named Enstrom an alternate captain early in the 2010-11 season. He responded by tying for fifth among defensemen in scoring (51 points) and earned his first NHL All-Star Game selection, although he did not play because of injury.
After the franchise relocated and became the Winnipeg Jets for the 2011-12 season, Enstrom signed a five-year contract extension on July 27, 2012. He made his first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in 2015, playing in all four games of Winnipeg's first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks and getting an assist in a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 3.
On Feb. 16, 2016, Enstrom became the third player to reach 600 games with the Jets/Thrashers organization.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2008)
- Transferred to Winnipeg after Atlanta franchise relocated, June 21, 2011.
- Signed as a free agent by Salzburg (Austria), October 22, 2012.