THE DRAFT FILES | VOL. 01: Vilmer Salén Forsberg
Almost a month into the Ontario Hockey League season, teams and players have begun to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. For many of these players, that means putting themselves on the radar for National Hockey League teams and scouts ahead of the Entry Draft. This new series, the Draft Files, will highlight an NHL draft eligible player from the OHL every other week as we get closer to the Draft.
The first volume of this new series will highlight Brantford Bulldogs goaltender Vilmer Salén Forsberg.
The Brantford Bulldogs had excellent goaltending last season, between Buffalo Sabres draft pick Ryerson Leenders and David Egorov. Brantford elected to trade both of them this offseason and bring in Salén Forsberg through the CHL Import Draft.
Salén Forsberg, who stands in at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, represented Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer and has previously spent his career with Södertälje SK through different ranks.
Salén Forsberg has been a treat to watch so far over this season. Through eight starts, the 17-year-old has a 2.08 goals against average and .936 save percentage, including one shutout. He was recognized by the OHL as he was named OHL goaltender of the week for September 24.
Winning six of his eight starts to begin the campaign, Salén Forsberg has given Brantford the spark they needed to begin the season, who currently have the most wins in the Eastern Conference. As for the NHL Draft, out of the 32 drafted goalies in the 2026 NHL draft, only three were listed under 6-foot-2. With the average height at just under 6-foot-4, Salén Forsberg fits the profile that NHL teams are looking to develop.
Looking further down the road, only one Swedish goalie was taken in the 2026 NHL Draft. That was Carl Axelsson in the fourth round to the Utah Mammoth. This opens the door for Salén Forsberg to have a good shot at the World Junior Championships in 2028 and to be the starting goalie in 2029. It has been a strong start to the year for the Swedish import and if Salén Forsberg can continue his elite play, there is no reason to believe he won't be taken in the 2027 NHL Draft.
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