Niklas Hjalmarsson

37-Year-Old DefensemanD
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Niklas Hjalmarsson in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a contract with HV71 of the SHL in November of 2022.
Signs with Swedish team
DFree Agent
November 10, 2022
Hjalmarsson has signed a contract with HV 71 of the Swedish Hockey League, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.
ANALYSIS
Hjalmarsson last played in the NHL during the 2020-21 season, picking up five assists in 41 games for Arizona. He sat out last season, but at the age of 35, the defenseman wanted to finish out his career in his native Sweden.
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Niklas Hjalmarsson See More
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July 23, 2020
Hockey is back, with Kyle Riley delivering his preview of the five-game play-in series between No. 6 Nashville and No. 11 Arizona. Plus, our writers' picks.
Cap Compliance: Arizona Coyotes
May 14, 2020
AJ Scholz and Kyle Riley weigh in on how they believe the Coyotes should approach free agency this offseason.
Seattle Expansion Mock Draft: Pacific Division
March 31, 2020
AJ Scholz takes a dive into what NHL Seattle's 2021 expansion draft might look like, starting with a breakdown of protected players in the Pacific Division.
2019-20 Bold Predictions
2019-20 Bold Predictions
September 29, 2019
September 29, 2019
Jason Chen makes eight bold predictions for the 2019-20 campaign.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
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Hjalmarsson lost three months to a broken leg in 2019-20, and he ended up playing in just 27 contests. In his limited time, he had a goal, four helpers, 45 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating. The burly Swede isn't likely to see anything more than third-pairing minutes during the upcoming campaign, and the vast majority of fantasy managers won't benefit from his low-scoring style. With shaky health in three of the last four years, Hjalmarsson shouldn't be expected to play in every game, and his scoring ceiling sits at about 10 to 15 points.
In his own way, Hjalmarsson enjoyed a career year, posting a personal-best 187 blocked shots despite registering only 10 assists. After injuries claimed chunks of the previous two years, it was also encouraging to see the Swede play in all 82 games. There's no question to what Hjalmarsson is at this point in his career -- a stay-at-home defenseman who carries far more value on the ice than in the fantasy arena. He's 32 years old, as well, so don't expect a sudden breakout year for the blueliner. Instead, 10-15 points and a top-10 finish in blocked shots should be the expectation.
Hjalmarsson's first season in Arizona did not go as planned. While he's healthy now, the fearless blueliner missed 34 games due to an upper-body injury and ultimately a lower-body concern that affected his core. Hjalmarsson's primary source of fantasy utility comes in the form of blocked shots, with the former Blackhawk amassing 450 of those over the past three years. Most of the offense from the Coyotes blue line is routed through the likes of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Alex Goligoski rather than Hjalmarsson, who takes the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone to the delight of the Coyotes goalies.
Hjalmarsson is a fantastic stay-at-home defender, but his lack of offensive production keeps him from being a viable option in most fantasy formats. The 30-year-old rearguard has yet to top 30 points in a single season since he entered the NHL in 2007-08, and he only managed 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 73 games with the Blackhawks last season. Hjalmarsson was traded to the Coyotes in exchange for Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin in June, and although he’s expected to skate alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the Coyotes’ top pairing this season, the change of scenery is unlikely to make Hjalmarsson fantasy relevant at this stage of his career. The 6-foot-3 blueliner did register an impressive 181 blocked shots last campaign, good for sixth in the NHL, but his unwavering commitment to sacrificing his body lessens his appeal.
Hjalmarsson isn't known for his offensive contributions, and rightfully so. The 29-year-old defender has yet to top 30 points in a single campaign since he entered the league in 2007-08. He is, however, widely considered to be one of the NHL's most underrated defenders. Hjalmarsson does excellent work in the defensive zone, and has an unwavering commitment to blocking shots. The left-handed defenseman is also talented enough to log a ton of tough minutes against his opponents' best players, and is a key member of the 'Hawks top penalty-killing unit. The 6-foot-3 Swede won't be worth a roster spot in all formats, but can be expected to deliver around 20 points for owners rounding out their defensive depth in deeper leagues.
Hjalmarsson might be considered the third defenseman on the Hawks, but that's not too shabby considering the two ahead of him are Duncan Keith (Norris Trophy winner) and Brent Seabrook. Some might even have him ahead of Seabrook. The 27-year-old blueliner had a career high in assists (22) and points (26) in 2013-14, and ranked in the top 20 in blocked shots with 157. There's value in that combination and even more if he continues to track up to the 30-point mark.
Hjalmarsson's numbers last season -- points, hits and blocked shots -- were consistent with his last few years. He's an absolutely punishing defender and plays in every important defensive situation. And while he has untapped offensive ability, he is most valuable in his own zone. He's an asset in specialty formats, but is unlikely to help you in standard leagues.
Hjalmarsson was one of the top names that were supposed to be shipped out by the Blackhawks, but he was still on the roster when the summer ended. He is a shot-blocking specialist and was second on the team in that category with 142, behind only the great Brent Seabrook. He'll be a steady 15-18 point producer; don't draft for any more.
Hjalmarsson was a controversial figure during the 2010-11 offseason for the Blackhawks as the team needed to match the San Jose Sharks offer for him. The result is that the team was placed at the limit of the salary cap. Hjalmarsson saw a dip in scoring with just three goals and seven assists. However, he increased his blocked shots to 166 from 137 the year before. More is sure to be expected from him for 2011-12.
Hjalmarsson is an outstanding defender who is emerging as a top-notch, shot-blocking, shutdown specialist. But the 23-year-old boasts some impressive offensive skills that are unfortunately underutilized on an extremely deep Hawks blue line. He's a Dan Hamhuis clone, just a few years younger. Expect 20-25 points this season with slow growth dependent on his role. Just beware he may become so valuable killing penalties and shutting down the opposition's best forwards that he may never fully develop his offensive game.
The 22-year-old defenseman could be a major plus come the 2009-10 season. He was injured in the first Hawks game last season and then relegated to Rockford. Hjalmarsson was brought up near the end of the season and would play 21 games for the entire season while registering a goal and two assists along with a plus-4 rating. He also played several minutes on the ice in a couple of games in the Detroit series in the playoffs.
Hjalmarsson played in 13 games with the Hawks last season. He'll compete with Jordan Hendry, Cam Barker, and Matt Walker for the third defensive pairing. He shouldn't have lots of value in a standard league but could accrue decent assist numbers for teams in deep leagues.
More Fantasy News
Set to retire
DFree Agent
July 25, 2021
Hjalmarsson is expected to retire from the NHL after 14 seasons, Arizona Coyotes Insider Craig Morgan reports.
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Delivers assist
DArizona Coyotes  Foreign
April 28, 2021
Hjalmarsson produced an assist, two shots on goal and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Sharks.
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Quiet in return
DArizona Coyotes  Foreign
April 12, 2021
Hjalmarsson (upper body) recorded two shots on net and two blocked shots in 16:14 of ice time in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Avalanche.
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Returning Monday
DArizona Coyotes  Foreign
April 12, 2021
Hjalmarsson (upper body) was activated from injured reserve and will suit up for Monday's game against Colorado, Alexander Kinkopf of the Coyotes' official website reports.
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Could return Monday
DArizona Coyotes  Foreign
Upper Body
April 11, 2021
Head coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday that Hjalmarsson (upper body) "could be ready" for Monday's game versus the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes Insider Craig Morgan reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could play in Sweden next season
DArizona Coyotes  Foreign
May 8, 2021
Hjalmarsson is considering moving back to his native Sweden and continuing his hockey career there after this season, Jim Parsons of The Hockey Writers reports, citing Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet.
ANALYSIS
Hjalmarsson has had a decorated NHL career as a stay-at-home defenseman, winning three Stanley Cups with Chicago. He'll be 34 years old in June and hasn't scored more than 10 points in a season since 2016-17, so Hjalmarsson is unlikely to generate significant interest from NHL teams as a free agent this offseason.
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