DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: Adam Ginning poses after being selected 50th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Flyers announced yesterday, sort of a shocker to some, the signing of Flyers prospect from Sweden Adam Ginning to a two-year entry-level contract. He became the fourth member of the Flyers 2018 draft class to ink an ELC with the orange and black: Wyatte Wylie, Joel Farabee, and Samuel Ersson are the others. So what’s Ginning’s ceiling, as he struggled to find a home in the AHL (Swedish Hockey League) at times?
Ginning has widely been known as a defensive defenseman, with little offensive production. He’s very inconsistent offensively, and that is due to the lack of mobility on his behalf. Ginning is not the best skater, and that could hinder his development as a player at the NHL level. With Samuel Morin no longer in the plans for the Flyers at least as a player, the Flyers are trying to replicate his physical play on the defensive side of the puck. Ginning does not shy away from physicality, rather he embraces it.
The young 22-year-old won the SHL Championship with Färjestad BK this past season, and he tallied five points (3g, 2a) in 19 playoff games. For his efforts, he only registered one goal and four assists for in 51 regular season games.
This 6’4, 205 pound defenseman was a ping pong ball between Linköping HC and HC Vita Vasten, before finding a home with Färjestad BK in 2020-21. This is why some, including myself, really thought that Ginning would not earn a ELC with the Flyers. Ginning’s development stalled mightily, but he managed to become a solid defensive defenseman, as he finally found his niche with Färjestad BK. Is skating needs improvement mightily to succeed at the NHL level, but he does have the size to excel with the Flyers. Given his size, I actually think he’s better suited in North America due to the ice rink size.
He is a native of Linköping, Sweden, and Ginning has captured two bronze medals in the World Junior Championships for Team Sweden. Most recently he led Team Sweden as Captain to a bronze medal in 2020, and Ginning also captured a bronze medal in 2017-18 for Team Sweden.
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Personally, Ginning could become a 6th/7th defenseman in the NHL. Some people compare him to Robert Hägg, and that is false. Hägg was more talented offensively in his tenure while playing in the SHL. Ginning’s skating is a concern for me, and that is something to watch for when he plays with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the Fall.
