Prospect Info: 2017 NHL Draft / Pick #7 - Lias Andersson (C)

[haveandare]

Y’all do know Glass is having a good year, right? He’s the third leading WHL scorer among D+1 players behind Stelios Matheos and Aleksi Heponiemi

Yeah, I don't follow Canada much at all, but I wonder what is behind this decision? Glass has had a great year so far from everything I've seen.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

Y’all do know Glass is having a good year, right? He’s the third leading WHL scorer among D+1 players behind Stelios Matheos and Aleksi Heponiemi

Scoring is only one facet of the game... Clearly something else is holding him off the WJC roster... That something will hold him back from progressing as a player too

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Scoring is only one facet of the game... Clearly something else is holding him off the WJC roster... That something will hold him back from progressing as a player too

Brett Connelly was a 6th overall pick, who was over a PPG in he D+1 year in the WHL. You're correct.

 

[Edge]

Yeah, I'm not worried about Cody Glass at all. It's a non-issue to me.

Last year he was 32-62-94 in 69 games.

This year, his projections for the same number of games would be 46-64-110.

Not quite the 125 point pace he was on at one point, but yeah, I think the kid's doing just fine.

Nothing to see here.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Brett Connelly was a 6th overall pick, who was over a PPG in he D+1 year in the WHL. You're correct.

Except Connolly made his WJC team in his D+1 year. Tyler Seguin didn’t. This is all moot because for all intents and purposes, Glass being cut was a big surprise, and by all accounts is playing extremely well for Portland.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Except Connolly made his WJC team in his D+1 year. Tyler Seguin didn’t. This is all moot because for all intents and purposes, Glass being cut was a big surprise, and by all accounts is playing extremely well for Portland.

Glass is producing really nicely in Portland. Apparently they are expecting more from him.

 

[Ola]

Imagine the outrage if Andersson is missing the World Juniors. He'd be labeled a bust instantly.

Yeah and it would be a big shocker since he was a top player last season.

I’ve been trying to say this since the draft, it’s not necessarily that people make up obstacles that Lias have to overcome to become a top player in the NHL that don’t exist. But — Nolan Patrick, Cale Makar, Elias Pettersson, Cody Glass, Heiskanen, Mittlestad, Villardi and co. all certainly have obstacles they have to overcome too. Some drafts there are 7-8 busts in the top 10. Some drafts there are 5-6 very good players in the top 10. I’ve never heard anyone even remotely with any correctness claim that 8 of the top 10 picks of a draft will bust 4-10 months after the draft. Still it’s not that unusual that only 2-3 players in the top 10 becomes very good.

I am pretty sure that Heiskanen and Patrick are becoming solid players, but they certainly might not become better than say JVR/Edler types. I think a kid like Makar is exposed to bad coaching/bad environment. These kids seem to become as good as you make them, and when they are picked early they face the risk of playing with little support. It’s not entirely easy — for me at least — to pin down which kids in the high scoring CHL players mold will become the next Mark Schleife/Tkachuk and which kids will become Bennet/Reinhard/Virtanen/R Strome type of “busts”. Villardi? Glass? I don’t know with much certainty. To be honest I am a bit sceptical about both, but I am not sure I would have made the right call on Schleife either (don’t think I saw much of him). Mittlestad and Pettersson also must take big steps. I think both will, but it can be tough and it’s hard to know just exactly what they will amount to.

And it’s the same with Lias. He must get more intensity in his skating. Become quicker. I’ve seen him so many times really excel and expand his register and really execute offensively at a really high level when he gets open ice. To get that open ice he must move a little faster. Think he has as much potential as any kid in the top 10.

In the end most is in the hands of the kids in question. What will they do with the gifts they have? In this perspective — I think it’s hard to find a better kid than Lias.

 

[darko]

Y’all do know Glass is having a good year, right? He’s the third leading WHL scorer among D+1 players behind Stelios Matheos and Aleksi Heponiemi

Yes. My comment was tongue in cheek.

 

[Miamipuck]

Yes. My comment was tongue in cheek.

No you were serious, you can't fool us.

 

[chosen]

Yeah and it would be a big shocker since he was a top player last season.

I’ve been trying to say this since the draft, it’s not necessarily that people make up obstacles that Lias have to overcome to become a top player in the NHL that don’t exist. But — Nolan Patrick, Cale Makar, Elias Pettersson, Cody Glass, Heiskanen, Mittlestad, Villardi and co. all certainly have obstacles they have to overcome too. Some drafts there are 7-8 busts in the top 10. Some drafts there are 5-6 very good players in the top 10. I’ve never heard anyone even remotely with any correctness claim that 8 of the top 10 picks of a draft will bust 4-10 months after the draft. Still it’s not that unusual that only 2-3 players in the top 10 becomes very good.

I am pretty sure that Heiskanen and Patrick are becoming solid players, but they certainly might not become better than say JVR/Edler types. I think a kid like Makar is exposed to bad coaching/bad environment. These kids seem to become as good as you make them, and when they are picked early they face the risk of playing with little support. It’s not entirely easy — for me at least — to pin down which kids in the high scoring CHL players mold will become the next Mark Schleife/Tkachuk and which kids will become Bennet/Reinhard/Virtanen/R Strome type of “busts”. Villardi? Glass? I don’t know with much certainty. To be honest I am a bit sceptical about both, but I am not sure I would have made the right call on Schleife either (don’t think I saw much of him). Mittlestad and Pettersson also must take big steps. I think both will, but it can be tough and it’s hard to know just exactly what they will amount to.

And it’s the same with Lias. He must get more intensity in his skating. Become quicker. I’ve seen him so many times really excel and expand his register and really execute offensively at a really high level when he gets open ice. To get that open ice he must move a little faster. Think he has as much potential as any kid in the top 10.

In the end most is in the hands of the kids in question. What will they do with the gifts they have? In this perspective — I think it’s hard to find a better kid than Lias.

No idea how he will turn out, but athletes almost never become quicker.

 

[Ola]

No idea how he will turn out, but athletes almost never become quicker.

If that is true it’s certainly apples and oranges.

If you look at relevant test results from a skating point of view for Lias back in October he will improve all of them with at least 25-50%. And like all sprinters peak when they are mid 20s, I’ve never seen a sprinter under 20 challenge for medals.

It’s also important to remember that physically it’s very demending to skate a full game. At that age around 18-19 there is definitely a huge room for improvement from a cardio POV and getting more endureable muscles.

I’ve seen an endless of examples of kids whom skating is like night and day from when they are 18-19 and 23-24.

 

[Mikos87]

Glass got cut because he only plays center and has no experience on the wing.

Canada is set in the middle and want some centers that can slot in on the wing.

It's something hockey Canada uses as a strategy for their international teams, and has been for a long time.

Doesn't mean it's successful at the U20 level

 

[Ola]

Glass got cut because he only plays center and has no experience on the wing.

Canada is set in the middle and want some centers that can slot in on the wing.

It's something hockey Canada uses as a strategy for their international teams, and has been for a long time.

Doesn't mean it's successful at the U20 level

I think the big issue is that Ds at the WJCs moves the puck more and better than basically at any other level of hockey. These kids are from the age of 10-18 usually used to be completely dominant Ds. National teams often have more skill biased blue lines and so forth. Many bigger Canadian forwards with decent size that are used to playing in the CHL have just had a hard time getting a hold of these players on the forecheck. Glass isn’t much for skating the puck up ice or playing a speedy game. He needs get to the opponents with a bit of a physical game, cause turnovers, push the opponents back and execute well when that style is effective.

Glass could be a top player next year at the WJC, but I think he would be much of a non factor at this point.

 

[Mikos87]

I think the big issue is that Ds at the WJCs moves the puck more and better than basically at any other level of hockey. These kids are from the age of 10-18 usually used to be completely dominant Ds. National teams often have more skill biased blue lines and so forth. Many bigger Canadian forwards with decent size that are used to playing in the CHL have just had a hard time getting a hold of these players on the forecheck. Glass isn’t much for skating the puck up ice or playing a speedy game. He needs get to the opponents with a bit of a physical game, cause turnovers, push the opponents back and execute well when that style is effective.

Glass could be a top player next year at the WJC, but I think he would be much of a non factor at this point.

What's interesting to me is that they cut Cholowski. IMO that kid is in the Shea Theodore mold of a puck mover you mentioned. Bean & Klague are returnees & Mete is an NHLer in terms of the LH shots... so it was a bit of an uphill battle.

Makar was going to make it, that's the closest thing to a junior aged Karlsson Canada has. So Fabrro is a returnee. Foote has been dominant. They probably went with Timmins as a RH cause Makar can play the left side.

I bring up Cholowski because he was dominant with Dante Fabro in previous national tourneys when they were in BC. Dominant. Shame we won't see that this year. But to your point, all of the Canadian D are puck movers, except for Foote. I would say, some of them are in the elite range. This may be the best Canadian defense core in a very long time.

 

[Mac n Gs]

What's interesting to me is that they cut Cholowski. IMO that kid is in the Shea Theodore mold of a puck mover you mentioned. Bean & Klague are returnees & Mete is an NHLer in terms of the LH shots... so it was a bit of an uphill battle.

Makar was going to make it, that's the closest thing to a junior aged Karlsson Canada has. So Fabrro is a returnee. Foote has been dominant. They probably went with Timmins as a RH cause Makar can play the left side.

I bring up Cholowski because he was dominant with Dante Fabro in previous national tourneys when they were in BC. Dominant. Shame we won't see that this year. But to your point, all of the Canadian D are puck movers, except for Foote. I would say, some of them are in the elite range. This may be the best Canadian defense core in a very long time.

Canada is sick of being embarrassed and is gonna load up one their older kids to try to medal in this tourny. Foote was a kid who I always had a feeling was gonna be a stud, but he had this weird stigma around him at the draft.

Are there any reports about Lias from the Swedish camp?

 

[Ola]

It will be interesting to see if Alexander Nylander is released by Buffalo, I think he will be, the WJC is played in Buffalo and he is in the AHL.

Who will Lias play with? He has played with Bratt before but with him out I am not sure if Sweden have any established lines.

 

[UnSandvich]

It will be interesting to see if Alexander Nylander is released by Buffalo, I think he will be, the WJC is played in Buffalo and he is in the AHL.

Who will Lias play with? He has played with Bratt before but with him out I am not sure if Sweden have any established lines.

Pretty much everywhere I've seen Sweden's WJC roster mentioned, Andersson is their 1C with Pettersson on the wing. If Nylander doesn't make it, and Bratt does, I would imagine Bratt will slot in at 1W. However, given that he's playing regular top line minutes in the NHL, I don't see Bratt getting released to the WJCs

 

[Ola]

Sweden have been informed that Bratt won’t be released.

Alex Nyls isn’t a center, I think one of Nyls or Petersson will play with Lias but it’s hard to know. Some are speculating on Petersson-Lias-Nylander-Dahlin-Lijlegren...

 

[UnSandvich]

Sweden have been informed that Bratt won’t be released.

Alex Nyls isn’t a center, I think one of Nyls or Petersson will play with Lias but it’s hard to know. Some are speculating on Petersson-Lias-Nylander-Dahlin-Lijlegren...

Imagine trying to face that PP. Who do you cover?

 

[RangerBoy]

Beyond the next game, but not beyond the winter, is another Swedish national team, the one heading to South Korea for the Olympics in February. Henrik Lundqvist would have been a lock to be in goal for Sweden if the NHL had not passed up the opportunity to showcase its talent in the tournament. Now Joel is in much the same position as he was prior to the world championships last spring. The roster is weeks away from being set and there’s no guarantee that he’ll be on it — a rib injury that kept him on the sidelines in November didn’t help his cause. He’d be looking at a third- or fourth-line role once again and it’s hard to know if the team staff will side with experience like his over fresh legs, like Lias Andersson, a 19-year-old Frolunda teammate who’ll be playing at the world under-20s.

Hockey sent Joel and Henrik Lundqvist down different paths

Playing in the Olympics would be a good experience for Lias.

 

[RangerBoy]

Must be a leader: "Something I want to be"

Associate crew Tomas Montén was clearly in the process of presenting the JVM squad that Lias Andersson is one of the leaders in the team. Not impossible that he even becomes the team captain.
- It's just fun, that's something I want to be. I want to contribute both on and off the ice and help the younger players we have in the team, "says Andersson.
For the 19-year-old, who was one of the players in Juniorkronorna last year, the bad losses to Canada in the semifinals and Russia in the bronze match are still in memory.
Hence also a big revance for the year's tournament.

"Aiming to go all the way"

"We aim to go all the way, clearly. But there are many good teams that are with and many who have the chance. It will be very tight and we know that it's small margins when it comes to quarterfinals, semifinal and finals that are settled over a match, he says.

Google Translate

 

[Algernop Kreider]

Obviously both are long shots, but would the Olympic team take Lias first, or Petterson?

 

[Alluckks]

Depends on who the coach of the team likes. Tortorella and AV would likely take Lias due to his bigger frame and (I think) better two way play.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Imagine trying to face that PP. Who do you cover?

The generational player

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don't think there's a real comparison there. If the coach picks Andersson over Pettersson, he's an idiot. Pettersson is the best Swedish forward outside the NHL. He leads the SHL in points.

Maybe Andersson could make it as well. Probably not but a great WJC might give him a chance. It helps that he's versatile and could play on the fourth line.