C/LW Anton Lundell - IFK Helsinki, Liiga (2020, 12th, FLA) Part2

[Zub]

Liiga isn't a very good league and hockey sense doesn't directly correlate with corsi percentage. These same types of things were said about players like Lias Andersson, Jacob Josefson, Curtis Lazar, etc.

I think we need to be a little cautious. He's the prime candidate to look like a very good prospect but then he gets to the NHL and he's just not as talented as he produced at lower levels because none of his skills in any part of the game are that good. Maybe everything is at a high enough level that it all adds up to a really good player. At the same time, I think there's enough gray area that we don't know yet.

Liiga is still a good league and better than most. Being a 18 yo and having 2nd best Corsi % in the league is nothing to overlook.

 

[57special]

He seems easy as hell to evaluate.
Good sized, and can definitely play NHL C. Mature both physically, emotionally, and mentally. A Leader/captain material. Average skater who makes up for it with efficient and intelligent positioning. Excellent defensively, yet still is able to contribute offensively. NHL calibre shot and release. Good vision and passing ability. Above average in board and net front battles.

I could go on. He blew away the performances of players who were picked before him like Perfetti, Holtz, and Quinn at the WJC, and has a track record of consistent play both internationally and playing against men in Finland.

Of all the players picked in the top 12, he is one of easiest to assess, IMO, together with Laffy, Stuetzle- maybeDrysdale? I like Byfield a lot, but who knows what he is going to be? Same with Perfetti, Quinn, Rossi, Askarov, maybe even Raymond and Holtz. I'm sure that at least a couple of those players are going to be better than Lundell, but I have no idea who, because they have been inconsistent when asked to play at a higher level than junior, excepting Askarov, and even he has looked worryingly unstable.

Lundell was a rock in the WJC, where he captained his team to overachieve, and is also a leader playing a very good men's league, whereas most of the other players were dominating against teens previously, and do not play NHL level defense.

 

[violaswallet]

This guy is a hard player to evaluate. I see what his big supporters like and I see what his big detractors don't like.

He's a big, effective center who is good defensively, wins draws, has been able to beat goalies with his wrist shot and is effective at lower levels with producing points due to hockey sense that is at least slightly above-average.

At the same time, he's no better than an average skater, he's not particularly creative in his puck decisions, and his hockey sense/shot/playmaking might not be good enough to translate to anything better than league average.

If you told me he turned into a ROR, I'd believe you. If you told me he turned into a Lias Andersson, I'd also believe you. My opinion is that I like his game, but that comes with a very cautious endorsement because I am not sure, at all, that I'm right.

How much have you watched him outside the WJC? I don’t see the hockey sense argument: especially on the defensive side of play, he was exceptionally well positioned through the WJC and performs similarly in the Liiga

You touched upon the two main critiques of him: speed and high end offensive ability. As a Panthers fan, I’m not terribly worried about his speed as Barkov had similar problems pre-draft and first year; he can work on it.

About offensive ability, it’s tougher for me to say; he has put up dominant numbers in the Liiga and the WJC competition. His shot and release are where I’m less confident given the lack of flash

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

 

[Zub]

Lundell has been a top 3 Corci guy prettymuch where ever he's played in whatever level, guy is legit.

 

[tellermine]

I still think people under estimate him for not being flashy.
You dont really have to if you are in right place, do the right moves.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

He made the best and the most team-benefiting passes at WJC.

 

[Loffer]

can we talk about how shockingly bad nhl teams are at identifying hockey iq?

Scouts might lack this precious commodity themselves - or IQ in general without qualifications, hockey or not. Which might be even a more awkward conclusion.

Just a late comment. Continue, guys.

 

[Dread Clawz]

I still think people under estimate him for not being flashy.
You dont really have to if you are in right place, do the right moves.

Yup, some people will never understand this though.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Last year he was underestimated because he hadn't made much progress compared to the previous season.

 

[BurntToast]

If you go back to most rankings in Oct 2019 he was ranked in the top 5. Unfortunately he didn’t get much playing time, but that is fortunate for the Panthers. Internet scouts are “writers” who happen to cover hockey and I often find them lazy. For example: How many players can you compare to Mitch Marner?

Lastly: Top 6, Top 9, First Line is also a terrible way to rate players. The best teams spread talent throughout. Lines don’t mean ditty.

 

[DutchNYR]

Not to sound greedy, since we already drafted #1 overall, but I would've loved to have this guy on the Rangers. Imagine drafting Quinn with this fella still on the board.

 

[Team Cozens]

Not to sound greedy, since we already drafted #1 overall, but I would've loved to have this guy on the Rangers. Imagine drafting Quinn with this fella still on the board.

Were the Sabres the only team that passed on Lundell ?? Quinn looking very good in the team scrimmage tonight as well. Time will tell, no these horrible hot takes a few months after the draft.

 

[Agent Zub]

Last year he was underestimated because he hadn't made much progress compared to the previous season.

Didn't he finish the season with 20 points in his last 29 games? Or am I misremembering?

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Didn't he finish the season with 20 points in his last 29 games? Or am I misremembering?

There is nothing exceptional about it, since after a slow start to the season, he resumed the pace with which he had finished the previous regular season.

In addition, his record with U20 Finland was very bad.

At the start of the 2019/2020 season, I expected to see him at 1 point per game.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

There is nothing exceptional about it, since after a slow start to the season, he resumed the pace with which he had finished the previous regular season.

In addition, his record with U20 Finland was very bad.

At the start of the 2019/2020 season, I expected to see him at 1 point per game.

How's he doing this year?

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

How's he doing this year?

Reread my previous messages you will understand the meaning of my intervention which aims to explain why Lundell slipped

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Reread my previous messages you will understand the meaning of my intervention which aims to explain why Lundell slipped

Ya just asking how you'd compare last year vs this year is all

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Ya just asking how you'd compare last year vs this year is all

Lundell was 9th on my board in Summer 2020; he is currently 3rd.

He was very good in the WJC, his stats in Liiga have seen a big jump. I think he will play in the NHL next year and he should be able to win very quickly behind Barkov.

 

[DutchNYR]

Were the Sabres the only team that passed on Lundell ?? Quinn looking very good in the team scrimmage tonight as well. Time will tell, no these horrible hot takes a few months after the draft.

qUInn LooKeD gOOd iN tEAm ScRiMMaGe.

You sound like my three year old nephew.

 

[Backcheckmonster3]

Bush league scouting dropped him 12th.

 

[Team Cozens]

qUInn LooKeD gOOd iN tEAm ScRiMMaGe.

You sound like my three year old nephew.

Aww somebody can’t take it for having their terrible takes being called out.
Suck it up princess.

 

[violaswallet]

There is nothing exceptional about it, since after a slow start to the season, he resumed the pace with which he had finished the previous regular season.

In addition, his record with U20 Finland was very bad.

At the start of the 2019/2020 season, I expected to see him at 1 point per game.

Makes sense: I think the injury that kept him out of the WJC hurt him the most (and helped Florida); it’s tough projecting pro league scoring with an 18 year old especially one who plays upper echelon defense.
For the top 4 Finnish picks since Barky, the player either had a killer WJC or .8 point per game plus in the juniors except for Kotka who hasn’t exactly blown the world away yet. (Not saying Kotka will not be a good player)

I also think there was a penalty for how long he was in the Liiga: he played the most ore draft games (85) for a first round pick since Rantanen and without injuries he might have surpassed Rantanen.

 

[DutchNYR]

Aww somebody can’t take it for having their terrible takes being called out.
Suck it up princess.

You're the qUiNNtessential self-indulgent fanboy. Don't forget to wash your socks, kiddo.

 

[ponder]

Given how well he’s played this year, both Liiga and WJC play, I imagine he’d already go 5-7 in a redraft. Laf/Byfield/Stutzle/Raymond still the top 4, but then Lundell/Sanderson/Drysdale being very arguable. I don’t see riskier forward picks like Holtz, Quinn, Rossi and Perfetti ahead of Lundell at the moment. He’s got such a mature, complete, 2-way game, and he’s quickly erasing concerns about his skill/upside.