Freij is rounding into form at exactly the right time. Six goals and 11 points in 42 SHL games is a strong return for a young defenseman in a league that is rapidly becoming the best development circuit outside of North America, and he has only grown stronger as the season has progressed. He turned heads at the World Juniors with seven assists in seven games and his aggressive skating, puck-wanting instincts, and disciplined defensive play were certainly on display playing against his peers. His game is built on elite playmaking, defensive spacing, and stick work rather than raw point totals, and those qualities are translating at a level that should have Winnipeg excited about when he makes the move to North America. Signed to a three-year ELC last summer, he is locked in as a long-term Jets piece. A buy in dynasty leagues if he is still available.

The Winnipeg Jets signed Freij on a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value in the NHL of $975,000 on June 14, 2025.

Freij attended the Winnipeg Jets 2024 Development Camp on July 3-7, 2024. He will not participate in the 2024 Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C, September 13-16, 2024.

The 18-year-old defenseman scored 14 goals and added 19 assists for 33 points in 40 games played during the 2023-24 season with the Växjö Lakers Jr. in the Swedish Junior League. He is expected to spend the 2024-25 season in the second-tier pro-HockeyAllsvenskan with IK Björklöven on loan from Växjö.

Freij has been a riser on our board all season long due to his combination of three elite elements: his reading of the game (especially with play in front of him), his mobility, and his playmaking ability. He is a dynamic creator from the blueline in all three zones. In the breakout, he takes charge – wanting the puck on his stick – and is as much a threat to carry the puck up the ice, integrating liberal lateral and gear shifts into his rushes, as he is to spring the attack with a seeing-eye stretch pass. In the offensive zone, he frequently activates up the boards, creating lanes through defensive structures with both his feet and hands and placing accurate passes onto the tapes of teammates in high-danger areas: he’s one of the draft’s premier playmaking defensemen. His defensive game is characterized by a tight gap, calculated stickwork, and a lack of physicality, which will be one of the main elements needing progression before his jump to the NHL. While he’s exclusively played J20 competition this season and the lack of experience against adult competition will hurt his eventual draft stock, the creativity, intelligence, high-end tools, and promising development curve make him the first European blueliner I’d select on draft day. He could be an incredibly high-value add on Day 2 of the draft in Vegas. (April Rankings: #16)

Freij played the majority of the 2024-25 season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league, with IF Björklöven in 29 games. He produced eight points (two goals and six assists), but injuries and inconsistent ice time hindered these numbers. There is much more to Freij’s game that adds some interest to his long-term potential. His elite playmaking, mobility, and ability to read the game make him a threat in all three zones. Freij will not impact your fantasy roster in the short term, but he is a prospect worth adding; you will have to wait for him to come to North America. In the meantime, see how his game develops in Sweden. For the 2025-26 season, Freij will play for Timrå IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), Sweden’s top-tier league.

Freij represented Team Sweden at the 2025 World Junior Showcase, which also included teams from Canada, Finland, and the United States. The event took place from July 25 to August 2, 2025, at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus.

June 2024Freij was selected in the second round, 37th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2024 NHL Draft. Hadi Kalakeche

The cream of the Swedish crop, Freij, has been dominant at the J20 level. There are a lot of great passing defensemen in this year’s draft, and Freij is among the best of them. Factor in his mobility, and he becomes a possession demon; few things can ever keep Freij from putting the puck where he wants it. What separates him from his peers is the compliments on that game. He knows when to shoot the puck and rarely, if ever, overpasses; he’s active defensively and demonstrates a great understanding of how to build on the advantages he creates. He’s everything you want from your offensive defenseman and is a defensive quarterback at its purest. His aggressive style of play leads to him being overeager at times, but as he reins himself in, he can become one of the best defencemen in this class. David Saad

18th