C/LW Anton Lundell - IFK Helsinki, Liiga (2020 Draft)

[57special]

Koivu keeps getting brought up as a comparison, but Mikko is quite a bit bigger at 6'3", 220 lbs, is one hell of a competitor, and was a true #1C during his best years in the NHL. They both have a defensive mindset, though. If Lundell's skating improves he could be a good one. A lot of that depends on his work ethic off ice. If he dedicates himself to getting stronger and works on his skating he can easily become much better. As is, he isn't a disaster in that regard, and there are so many good skating coaches on there, as well as fitness trainers who will add explosive strength to an athlete's game.

Not a flashy pick, but i sure hope that MN picks him at #11 if he is still there (and they are still there).

 

[untouchable21]

I understand the concern around his skating, but to me it seems like Lundell has that Stepan/Pavelski thing where the stride is awkward and he doesn't seem to have great agility or explosiveness, but lo and behold, there he is lifting a guy's stick at the perfect moment to save a sure-fire tap in goal or suddenly he pops up right next to a yawning net to bury a loose puck - and you wonder how the hell he even got there as you didn't even notice him. You rewind the video back and discover that he didn't watch the play unfold and realize "I should be in that spot", he just innately floated there -he left early so he could be on time.

I actually think he has pretty good top end speed and wonder if his first-step can/will improve once he's done growing. Nevertheless, you can add me to the camp that doesn't think he will be an elite producer in the NHL, because I don't think that is his game - he isn't selfish enough and he doesn't possess any game breaking skills. That being said, I think he can quite reasonably become a top six forward who everyone thinks is good defensively and can produce respectably, but when you do a deep-dive into his numbers you realize "Hoooooly crap, this guy drives play and suppresses chances at an elite level."

How teams selecting in the first round value a player with that upside probably comes down to personal preference and I would imagine the lottery teams who are looking for franchise altering players will probably stay away, but the teams that feel they have offensively gifted young players but lack players that can settle down the entire flow of the game in their favor might value him much higher.

As a a Rangers fan, I'd easily take him if he was available with their first of their two 1st round picks and shoot for a risk/reward player who falls a bit with the other (Gunler/Lapierre/Perrault/Bourque etc.)

I’m wary of the skating concerns, but the defensive smarts he possesses is reminiscent of the likes of Koivu, O’Reilly, J. Staal and dare I say Bergeron.

With the best skating coach an NHL team can help provide, he can be a worthy gamble if the skating is a team’s biggest concern. Like you said, if a team is looking for a franchise altering player then he probably is not it, but a team looking for a smart two way player that can play with skilled wingers will be ecstatic to scoop him up.

If the Jets were convinced he could develop into a #2 Centre and were confident they could get him paired with a skating coach to get him there, I’d be happy if they selected him.

 

[NHL Dude 120]

Imagine if the sens somehow got him with the Islanders pick lol

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Imagine if the sens somehow got him with the Islanders pick lol

I doubt Lundell falls outside the top 10

 

[57special]

I dunno. Quinn is looking to be in the top 10, now. Askarov is a wild card.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I dunno. Quinn is looking to be in the top 10, now. Askarov is a wild card.

Sanderson could also go top-10 for sure.

 

[The Marsh King]

This'll seem weird coming from a Montreal fan, but I would be glad if we got him. I'm not as high on Ryan Poehling as others and I'm one of those fans that doesn't want to see us get another undersized winger (I know, I know).

Following the selections of Kotka and Poehling, he seems to fit Montreal's bill as a defensively responsible player, and he might have high end offensive talent (for a two-way player). And, I just love the idea of the three headed monster down the middle that this would create for Montreal: Kotka, Suzuki, and Lundell. Obviously there are other players in this draft that I want above Lundell, but this would be great center depth for the next decade.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Sounds Lundell smells potential bust ( due to skating problems. )
With that skating Lundell won't be NHL player at least 2-3 yrs.
Hopefully that NHL team who's enough stupid to draft Lundell somewhere TOP15
has good skating coach or skating coaches because Lundell will need that coaching a lot.

 

[Whileee]

Sounds Lundell smells potential bust ( due to skating problems. )
With that skating Lundell won't be NHL player at least 2-3 yrs.
Hopefully that NHL team who's enough stupid to draft Lundell somewhere TOP15
has good skating coach or skating coaches because Lundell will need that coaching a lot.

Lundell was ranked #11 by the panel of scouts surveyed by McKenzie mid season, so there clearly are NHL scouts that rate him quite highly.

Skating is an area that can be improved through training, moreso than hockey sense.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Is Grant McCagg and anonymous scouts that may or may not be Grant McCagg the only ones who are so down on Lundell that they have him as a future bottom 6 center in the NHL? Every other person I've seen has him at least as a solid 2nd line center in the future.

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

His skating is fine, will likely get better. His hockey sense & positioning is really good but I just don’t think there’s enough skill to be a 2nd line C on a good team. A better version of Dmitri Jaskin.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Is Grant McCagg and anonymous scouts that may or may not be Grant McCagg the only ones who are so down on Lundell that they have him as a future bottom 6 center in the NHL? Every other person I've seen has him at least as a solid 2nd line center in the future.

That’s probably Lundell’s ceiling and I don’t think it’s ridiculous to suggest he’s a fourth liner if he busts, but I do agree with your take about McCagg. That quote sounds a lot like something he’d say.

 

[bert]

Sounds Lundell smells potential bust ( due to skating problems. )
With that skating Lundell won't be NHL player at least 2-3 yrs.
Hopefully that NHL team who's enough stupid to draft Lundell somewhere TOP15
has good skating coach or skating coaches because Lundell will need that coaching a lot.

Mark Stone is a horrible skater too. Way worse at the same age. The way the scouting report reads is based on one persons personal opinion that is not proven. There are still average to poor skaters in the NHL that are very effective. Hockey sense, and the ability to anticipate the play are still variables that exist. Lundell's development would have to fully stop for him to have an absolute ceiling of a 4th liner. Not impossible but i dont think this is a very likely outcome from what ive seen.

 

[1OApick]

Time to get back here. Lundell and his skating have dropped his stocks lately. But when you are watching Lundell do you honestly think there are even 5 players who make better decisions on the rink in this draft? His smarts are really good and his strive to get better and train are his biggest traits.

 

[Hntz]

It seems ”skating” has become the new ”size” of NHL scouting. Players who aren’t as fast as the wind on their skates are overlooked the same way players under 6 feet were overlooked in the past.

Not saying that skating isn’t an important attribute in modern hockey, it really is. I’m just saying that there are player with below-average skating in the league who still are very effective. They just compensate with other attributes, like smarts. Just like Lundell.

 

[AnThGrt]

So most say Lundell is better than Raty or numbers show that. One is up for 1st overal next yr and apparently Lundell shouldn't even go top 15, albeit posting decently better numbers at each age lol

 

[CLW]

It seems ”skating” has become the new ”size” of NHL scouting. Players who aren’t as fast as the wind on their skates are overlooked the same way players under 6 feet were overlooked in the past.

Not saying that skating isn’t an important attribute in modern hockey, it really is. I’m just saying that there are player with below-average skating in the league who still are very effective. They just compensate with other attributes, like smarts. Just like Lundell.

ROR got drafted 3rd overall in NHL.com's recent 2009 redraft, just saying. ROR isn't exactly lightning on skates.

I'm not the only one in this thread who see a bit of ROR in Lundell's style.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

So most say Lundell is better than Raty or numbers show that. One is up for 1st overal next yr and apparently Lundell shouldn't even go top 15, albeit posting decently better numbers at each age lol

No, Raty is just overhyped.

 

[Whileee]

It seems ”skating” has become the new ”size” of NHL scouting. Players who aren’t as fast as the wind on their skates are overlooked the same way players under 6 feet were overlooked in the past.

Not saying that skating isn’t an important attribute in modern hockey, it really is. I’m just saying that there are player with below-average skating in the league who still are very effective. They just compensate with other attributes, like smarts. Just like Lundell.

I tend to agree. The Jets have a few players that have really improved their skating substantially within a few years and transitioned to good NHL skaters from mediocre skating prospects... Harkins and Appleton are good examples. Scheifele used to be called "Bambi" by fans on the Jets' Board when he was younger because he was so unsteady on his skates he would very often fall in any battle. Now he is one of the best skaters and his balance is very good in board battles.

If Lundell has the work ethic, he can improve his skating considerably, but you can't teach high end hockey sense.

 

[57special]

What I am hearing is that neither his hands, skating, passing, or vision/imagination are anything much above average. His size is slightly above average, and his two way game way above average. Maybe his IQ(positioning, judgement), too.

His skating doesn't look bad, to me. I also have to give points to any prospect who is playing with men, but I wish I had a better idea of his offensive upside.

 

[Captain Clutch]

I don't know a thing about Lundell but he certainly has caught the eye of the scouting services, who almost universally have him in or very near the top 10. Not to mention his high ranking in the Mackenzie survey of scouts, which tends to be a pretty accurate representation of NHL interest.

 

[Zub]

His skating is fine, will likely get better. His hockey sense & positioning is really good but I just don’t think there’s enough skill to be a 2nd line C on a good team. A better version of Dmitri Jaskin.

His skating is definetally not fine and is one of his biggest flaws.

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

His skating is definetally not fine and is one of his biggest flaws.

That being relative.

 

[Aaron Vickers]

Our Josh Bell managed to catch up with Lundell.

Poised Lundell not pressured by draft expectations

“I think I had a good season. That injury in November was sad for me, but after that I think I came back stronger and played a really good season. I got some points, I had a big role on the team, and I could help the team win every game.”

 

[ValeriKamensky]

I really don’t know what to do: smile or cry. Lundell is arguably the best pure two-way center who enters the draft since Sasha Barkov. And someone doesn’t see him at top-15. World is going crazy