Former 1st round pick claimed off waivers today

This just in, the Vegas Golden Knights have claimed 22 year old defenseman Tobias Bjornfot off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.

From the Golden Knights' official Twitter account:

Bjornfot was placed on waivers by the Kings yesterday in order to recall top prospect Brandt Clarke from the the AHL's Ontario Reign. In effect, it looks like the Kings simply replaced Bjornfot with Clarke and were willing to let Bjornfot walk away for no return.

The Golden Knights are getting a skilled blueliner in Bjornfot, but one who hasn't had a ton of opportunity to make his mark in the NHL. The smooth skating Swedish blue liner has played just one game this season and just 10 games for the Kings last season. His only full NHL season came in 2021-22 when he managed eight points in 70 games with the Kings. In total he has one goal and 15 points in 117 career NHL games.

He was selected 22nd overall by the Kings in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft following some strong seasons with his hometown Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He has performed well in the AHL with the Kings' affiliate Ontario Reign, but he has failed to translate his success to the NHL level. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to a change in scenery.

It's expected that Bjornfot will join the Golden Knights' third defense pairing alongside veteran Alex Martinez. Look for 24 year old blue liner Brayden Pachal to be removed from the lineup to make space for Bjornfot. The top two pairings consist of Nic Hague with Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb with Zach Whitecloud. Of course, star defenseman Shea Theodore is out week to week after suffering an upper body injury in mid December. 

Personally, I wouldn't expect much from Bjornfot. Sorry to get your hopes up Vegas fans, but the guy simply doesn't drive play in the offensive or defensive zones. He's a passive player in all areas of the ice who doesn't have the tenacity to keep up with the pace of NHL play. I'd love to be proven wrong, but that's what he has shown to this point in his career.