Overview
- The pick came in a draft-day trade on Saturday when the Calgary Flames sent No. 51 and No. 68 to Carolina in exchange for No. 42, a slot the Flames used to draft goaltender Tobias Trejbal.
- Håkansson is a 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman from Solna who spent most of 2025–26 with Luleå HF in the SHL and recorded two assists in 22 regular-season games.
- He helped Sweden win gold at the 2026 World Junior Championship, posting two assists in seven tournament games while showing the defensive traits that scouts prize.
- Scouts and draft rankings described Håkansson as an old-school shutdown defender with strong reach, gap control and physicality but limited offensive play and variable draft grades.
- Carolina sees Håkansson as a fit for its defense development system and will likely keep him in the SHL for further growth while monitoring his progress toward a future NHL role.