After yesterday’s profile on Elton Hermansson, next up on our board is fellow Swede Alexander Command, a center from Orebro HK.
Command is one of the centers in the murky middle of the first round – the group of Oliver Suvanto, Jack Hextall, and Ilia Morozov. To varying degrees, each of these players represent players with a high-floor and a lower NHL ceiling, where the players need to take sizable steps forward offensively to reach the Top-6 of a lineup.
Like many of the players of his archetype, Command makes his impact through his relentless motor, defensive responsibility, and constant awareness of where the play is going to develop. If he’s going to crack an NHL lineup in the future, it’s going to be because of his blend of effort and smarts – all the makings of a solid middle-six center in the modern NHL.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #19 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #10 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Ranked #18 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)
Ranked #13 by TSN (Craig Button)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
Command stands at 6-foot-1 and nearly 190 pounds, and he uses every bit of that frame to impose his physical will on opponents. He’s relentlessly strong in 1-on-1 battles, a handful to deal with on the forecheck, and really makes his money by going to the dangerous areas on the ice. Physicality is often one of the overrated qualities in draft prospects, but with the way that Command uses it – it’s one of the reasons to love Command’s upside. He picks his spots to ramp up the pressure, and while he doesn’t always make the next play to get the puck to dangerous areas, he’s in and around so much offense because of his physicality. His playmaking depends on his strong positioning and imposing physical play, and it’s definitely something that will be replicable as he progresses.
There are some concerns over Command’s ability to actually make plays at high-pace, but that doesn’t change the fact that Command is everywhere on the ice. If he’s able to compliment his high-motor, constantly engaged play with an ability to make “the next play” more consistently, watch for Command’s upside to increase. There’s certainly a solid foundation to build from in this regard.
Other than that, something that separates Command from other high-floor center prospects in this draft is the quality of his shot. Command potted 30 goals across all competitions this year (International and the J20 Nationell), and he was able to do that in a variety of ways. There’s something to be said for the deceptiveness that Command can have on the rush, consistently shooting the puck through defenders. He’s got a quick release too, and you can reasonably see Command developing the shot even further in the coming years. In many highlight clips with Orebro HK this year, Command also is set up along the half wall on the power play, hitting the net on a few one-timed goals from the circle. Out of any of his offensive attributes, you can identify his shot as the potential high-end quality of Command’s game moving forward.
Alexander Command puts Sweden within one in the 2nd period!#U18MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/fOCl1Csa52
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 1, 2026
What’s not to like?
If Command is going to make the leap into an NHL lineup, or the top half of an NHL lineup, he’s going to need to take a giant step forward in pure offensive skill. That might just not be possible, but that is the big question mark with Command in his development. The rest of his game is pretty solid, and it feels like we’d be nitpicking to point out any one area of his game as a weak point. His skating is at a quality level for a future middle-sixer, he can beat you in a variety of ways with his shot, he wins tons of 1-on-1 battles along the boards, and keeps himself above water defensively. There’s no glaring weakness here, and for that reason, you’re going to find teams that really value the projectability of the player.
There’s so much to like here with Command, but you just question the overall ceiling of a player that never really “pops” offensively. Some teams will not view that as a drawback, but personally he might be too safe of a pick for me in this range. Personally prefer to swing for the fences in the latter half of the first round, but finding a solid 3C is unquestionably a strong outcome for this draft range.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
Command honestly feels like a very Flyers pick. They aren’t quite the same prospects whatsoever, but the risk calculations behind taking guys like Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, Jack Berglund, etc. are very similar to what we imagine the thought process would be behind a Command pick. Just like Luchanko and Nesbitt (particularly the former), there’s so much to like in Command’s game outside of offensive skills that you can feel reasonably confident he’s a 3C or 4C. His fundamentals are that solid, and NHL teams often value that “certainty” in the prospect pool. Command would be no different, and would give the Flyers yet another option down the middle in the pipeline. Just might not be the most inspiring of the potential selections.
In terms of the NHL level fit, Command would probably fit pretty well into the Rick Tocchet system. High-motor, defensively responsible centers that go to the front of the net consistently are the exact type of players that hockey men like Tocchet love, and Command would fit seamlessly into that archetype if he hits. Throw in the fact that Command is very unafraid to throw his body around, and you’ve got a darn good fit.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Yes. If there’s a run on centers before the Flyers, maybe Command does not make it all the way to No. 21, but Command is a solid bet to be there when the Flyers pick. Teams do love to take defensively responsible, high-motor centers in the middle of the first round though, so maybe some organization is high on Command in the mid-teens instead.
What scouts are saying
“Command was one of my favourite interviews at the combine. He described having a “hatred” towards his opponents and willingness to do whatever it takes to win games. Command’s a “glue guy” for whatever team he plays for. He produced a healthy amount of offence at the J20 level in Sweden (17G-27A in 30 games) and was relied upon to check top lines and battle hard in the trenches at the U18 World Championship representing Sweden. He still produced 3G-4A at the worlds, without sacrificing defence.”
Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
“Command is a two-way center who ticks a lot of boxes. He’s a strong skater with quality offensive skills. He can make creative plays with the puck, but he does so in a direct manner to the net. He also has a great shot that is a threat from mid-range. He is average-sized, but quite physical and wins a lot of puck battles. He has the traits to be a middle-six center in the NHL.”
Corey Pronman, The Athletic
The next player added to the poll is another center – Maddox Dagenais, a center from Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL.
“Dagenais has had a strong playoff run with Quebec, which will definitely help his draft stock. The son of former NHLer Pierre Dagenais managed to register a point-per-game in 62 outings with Quebec, while often leading the team’s offensive push. He has an NHL caliber-frame at 6-foot-4 and 196 pounds, and he’s extremely reliable at both ends of the ice. Dagenais isn’t flashy, but he’s smart, toolsy and plays with a ton of power. At times, he’s able to dominate the puck better than most other big forwards in this draft class. Dagenais’ hockey IQ is impressive, and he’s a good skater for his size. I think he could be a good middle-six guy.”
–Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
