No one is saying Swedish winger Andreas Johnson and defenceman Viktor Loov are going to break into the lineup soon, but Loov has come over as a hard-rock defenceman on this year’s Marlies and now Johnson has an entry level deal with the team. Chosen 202nd and 209th respectively, they could be the late bloomers that have eluded the Leafs.
“We’re not really in a position to be picky in our situation,” said Dubas, in reference to a sparse number of higher Leaf selections they’ve retained in recent years. “You have to give the credit to (amateur scouting director) Dave Morrison and his staff. You look at Johnson, Loov and Connor Brown (a sixth rounder who became an OHL all-star and AHL rookie sniper). They’ve taken some heat over the years but got us some good players late in the draft.”
Johnson was rookie of the year in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14 and like 2014 top pick William Nylander, was a teen who played against men in Europe. He had 22 goals in 55 games, one of the best marksmen in the SHL.
“I wasn’t here when Andreas was drafted, but to have seen him and hear back from (new director of player development) Scott Pellerin, it’s clear he’s made strides,” Dubas said. “We wanted to get him locked in with a contract.”
But the Leafs aren’t about to fast-track Johnson to the NHL, as they’ve proceeded cautiously with Brown and Nylander. Under international agreement, Johnson can only play in the NHL in 2015-16 or go back to Frolunda of the SHL. Which is exactly what Dubas intends after Johnson stops by the club’s prospect camp in July.