As a big, strong, and fast right winger, it’s only natural that Senators first round draft pick (25th overall) Jonas Lagerberg Hoen tried to emulate Alex Ovechkin’s shot growing up in Mora, Sweden.
Senators fans might be even more interested in another player he followed growing up, though.
“Erik Karlsson, his prime there in Ottawa was insane so me and my brothers watched him a lot there in Ottawa,” said Lagerberg Hoen, speaking to local media on Saturday afternoon when he was asked what players he followed or tried to model his game after.
“I have two highlights that I think everyone remembers. It’s his insane long pass to [Mike Hoffman in Game 3 of 2017’s first round] when he made a pass over the entire rink, and [his assist on Derick Brassard’s game-tying goal in Game 2 that year] when he goes around the offensive zone, fakes a shot and puts it over the centre line to [Brassard], those two passes are just insane.”
Judging by Lagerberg Hoen’s stats with Leksands IF in Sweden’s under-20 league, he’s probably a bit more likely to be on the receiving end of those highlight reel plays in Ottawa.
The winger scored 27 goals in 38 games as a 17-year-old, and was off to a torrid start this past season with nine goals in nine games before suffering a season-ending knee injury, which he underwent surgery to address in December.
“I’m an offensive forward. I have a very good shot and good skating. I try to play like [New York Islanders forward] Emil Heineman, if you guys know, he’s from my hometown. He’s a very good player, a hard, physical player, and I try to play like him,” said Lagerberg Hoen.
“We were kind of looking for that type of goal scorer a little bit. We need more goal scorers on the team,” said Senators European scout Anders Östberg on Friday night.
Heineman is one of several forwards the Leksands program has graduated to the NHL in recent years, alongside Filip Forsberg (11th overall in 2012), Victor Rask (42nd overall in 2011), and Isak Rosen (14th overall in 2021).
It was Forsberg who Östberg compared Lagerberg Hoen’s playstyle to, but the winger had even loftier aspirations for himself growing up: Alex Ovechkin.
“When I grew up, of course I liked to shoot, so Ovechkin was a big guy for me,” said Lagerberg Hoen.
Lagerberg Hoen said that rehab after his knee surgery was going well. He resumed skating about a month before the draft and said that everything felt good. He did not attend the draft in Buffalo, but figured he had a chance of being drafted late in the first round and set an alarm for the last few picks.
“I was half asleep and didn’t really think it was going to happen. But yeah, then they called my name and I got super happy and woke up my family,” said Lagerberg Hoen.
“It feels insane. It’s almost like you don’t believe it at first. It’s like you have to pinch yourself to feel the thrill.”
With the pro Leksands IF team — who he got into two games with before the injury — relegated to the second-tier Allsvenskan for the 2026–27 season, Lagerberg Hoen will have a chance to play a large role on a professional squad as a 19-year-old.
“Of course, I’m very excited. We got relegated last year, so it’s going to be a fun year, we’re going to pull the team up this year. It’s going to be fun,” said Lagerberg Hoen.
“He's got a pro contract there, and he'll have a big role there, so it's going to be really good level for him to develop,” said Östberg.
