Johan Fransson -- what happened?

[Rez]

In the latest Dallas Stars Top 20 Prospects update, Kevin Wey writes this about Fransson:

Once considered one of the top young Swedish defensemen, Johan Fransson has not developed the past two seasons as was hoped and he has almost stalled in the Swedish Elite League.

http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=8507&mode=threaded&order=0

He's now been bumped down to #13 in the Stars' prospects list, and has been given a rating of 7.0D.

All I can say is wow. Just six months ago, wasn't Fransson still considered a top Swedish prospect? I guess this question might be geared more towards our Swedish posters, but what happened? Do you still think Fransson has the chance to develop into a top four defenceman at the NHL level?

Click to read more...

 

[MetalMilitia]

I saw the name and thought that you made a spelling mistake. I thought you were talking about Detroit's Johan Franzen...it's going to be a strange one when these two play each other.

 

[KH1]

I saw the name and thought that you made a spelling mistake. I thought you were talking about Detroit's Johan Franzen...it's going to be a strange one when these two play each other.

Yeah. Just as strange as when Mike Johnson plays Brent Johnson or when Jussi Jokien plays Olli Jokinen

 

[bossy22]

Kid was billed as a can't miss NHL D prospect.

What I've seen of him, certainly speaks to the hype about his skating, beyond that.....the hype almost had him a sure D prospet as Phaneuf.

 

[Zoran Manojlovic]

In the latest Dallas Stars Top 20 Prospects update, Kevin Wey writes this about Fransson:



http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=8507&mode=threaded&order=0

He's now been bumped down to #13 in the Stars' prospects list, and has been given a rating of 7.0D.

All I can say is wow. Just six months ago, wasn't Fransson still considered a top Swedish prospect? I guess this question might be geared more towards our Swedish posters, but what happened? Do you still think Fransson has the chance to develop into a top four defenceman at the NHL level?

Don´t you worry about Fransson. He´s most likely going to be in the Stars organisation next season. A year in the AHL and he´ll be a top-6 d man for the team. He has the potential to be a top-2 d-man and I beklive the he´ll reach that potential. He´s got so much talent that he just needs time and a good organisation.

 

[Vikke]

From what I've seen this season, 4-5 games or so, he's looking like a solid AHL D-man NOW, and he's got a lot of room to improve.

As Zoran says, he's got a lot of talent.

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

Look how long it took for Backman to develop in Sweden (another 1st rounder who dropped on prospect boards). He's turned into a solid d-man for the Blues.

 

[Amadeus]

Kid was billed as a can't miss NHL D prospect.

What I've seen of him, certainly speaks to the hype about his skating, beyond that.....the hype almost had him a sure D prospet as Phaneuf.

I never heard Phaneuf!

I heard him being compared to Kronwall..

 

[Hedberg]

Yeah. Just as strange as when Mike Johnson plays Brent Johnson or when Jussi Jokien plays Olli Jokinen

No, it will be even weirder

 

[txomisc]

In the latest Dallas Stars Top 20 Prospects update, Kevin Wey writes this about Fransson:



http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=8507&mode=threaded&order=0

He's now been bumped down to #13 in the Stars' prospects list, and has been given a rating of 7.0D.

All I can say is wow. Just six months ago, wasn't Fransson still considered a top Swedish prospect? I guess this question might be geared more towards our Swedish posters, but what happened? Do you still think Fransson has the chance to develop into a top four defenceman at the NHL level?

Seems hes just been buried on his team. I would expect the stars to bring him over in the offseason so he can start to actually develop.

 

[Twist and Shout]

He won't be a Phaneuf (no one said he would be), but he'll be a solid #2-#3 d-man for the Stars.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

He has the potential to play in the NHL but he needs a change of environment. His skating is excellent and he just need to better his positioning and play more simple. He'll be in the AHL next year I think.

 

[Bustedprospect]

Fransson played on a team with a thin d-man line, becuase of that Fransson was not paired with a good defensive stay-at-home d-man but instead a more overall one. This really hurt his development and Fransson also struggled with the new "less moderate" calls from the refs and got alot of penalties.
The d-line was way more wide earlier and the pairing was better for him before.

He then got benched/saw little TOI, i also got the feeling that the coach really didnt like him.
8 points is not really that bad for such a young d-man considering he got little powerplay time during the season and did not play in the premium PP-unit that did most of the points.

He will likelly go to the AHL and i think it would be great for him, since the play in NA is more simple with less decisions. I think he will need at least one year to adopt to the game in NA and work on his defensive game.

Still he is very young he just turned 21 and he got all the potential to turn out as a top-2 d-man.

 

[Famous Flames]

No one ever seriously compared Fransson to Phaneuf.

 

[Ola]

Fransson's problems could be more then ordinary growing pains. One of the big experts in sweden labeled him as the best since Lidström not so long ago, he actually said that he hadn't seen a D dominate like Fransson did since Lidas, present not future. He was looking really great. Even last years with all the NHLers he was the best player on the ice some games (not many), basically could take over a shift on his own. Thats amazing to see for a D any age.

Though since then two things have happend to his game, he aren't skating with the puck anymore, and is not showing any passion on the ice. It pretty much started around christmas last season.

I've followed him pretty closely, even coached him once in a hockey school. A big problem have been that he have been benched every time he have made a little misstake, by three concecutive coaches. His first coach in Luleå, the WJC coach, and his 2nd coach in Luleå. Atleast the national team coach showed some faith in him, he benched him and then played him to death in to straight tournaments.

Fransson is a special kind of prospect, he is in the same neighborhood as players like Markus Näslund and Kristian Huselius. Do he have more potential then Phaneuf? Well IMO Dion don't have a ceeling, but IMO neither does Fransson. One is 10A and the other 10E or something.

Though I don't want to give the wrong impression, Fransson while beeing extremly promesing aren't looking dandy right now. No confidence, no drive ect.

 

[tmangos]

Interesting comments, Ola. Do you know if something happened to him around Christmas, to make him lose his passion around that time?
You obviously know your hockey, being a former coach of his - what's your opinion on what he needs to "get back" to the promising level he had? Should he come over to North America next year? Do you know if he's even willing to come over and play?

 

[txomisc]

Fransson's problems could be more then ordinary growing pains. One of the big experts in sweden labeled him as the best since Lidström not so long ago, he actually said that he hadn't seen a D dominate like Fransson did since Lidas, present not future. He was looking really great. Even last years with all the NHLers he was the best player on the ice some games (not many), basically could take over a shift on his own. Thats amazing to see for a D any age.

Though since then two things have happend to his game, he aren't skating with the puck anymore, and is not showing any passion on the ice. It pretty much started around christmas last season.

I've followed him pretty closely, even coached him once in a hockey school. A big problem have been that he have been benched every time he have made a little misstake, by three concecutive coaches. His first coach in Luleå, the WJC coach, and his 2nd coach in Luleå. Atleast the national team coach showed some faith in him, he benched him and then played him to death in to straight tournaments.

Fransson is a special kind of prospect, he is in the same neighborhood as players like Markus Näslund and Kristian Huselius. Do he have more potential then Phaneuf? Well IMO Dion don't have a ceeling, but IMO neither does Fransson. One is 10A and the other 10E or something.

Though I don't want to give the wrong impression, Fransson while beeing extremly promesing aren't looking dandy right now. No confidence, no drive ect.

Sounds like he needs to come to NA where the team has high hopes for him and gain a little confidence back.

 

[Chaos]

Fransson's problems could be more then ordinary growing pains. One of the big experts in sweden labeled him as the best since Lidström not so long ago, he actually said that he hadn't seen a D dominate like Fransson did since Lidas, present not future. He was looking really great. Even last years with all the NHLers he was the best player on the ice some games (not many), basically could take over a shift on his own. Thats amazing to see for a D any age.

Though since then two things have happend to his game, he aren't skating with the puck anymore, and is not showing any passion on the ice. It pretty much started around christmas last season.

I've followed him pretty closely, even coached him once in a hockey school. A big problem have been that he have been benched every time he have made a little misstake, by three concecutive coaches. His first coach in Luleå, the WJC coach, and his 2nd coach in Luleå. Atleast the national team coach showed some faith in him, he benched him and then played him to death in to straight tournaments.

Fransson is a special kind of prospect, he is in the same neighborhood as players like Markus Näslund and Kristian Huselius. Do he have more potential then Phaneuf? Well IMO Dion don't have a ceeling, but IMO neither does Fransson. One is 10A and the other 10E or something.

Though I don't want to give the wrong impression, Fransson while beeing extremly promesing aren't looking dandy right now. No confidence, no drive ect.

Sounds like exactly what we've been hearing about him the past 2 years. He needs to come to the AHL and just let him play his game, without benching him for every little mistake.