Leafs Take Rasmus Sandin With Their First Round Pick

“Sandin might’ve had the quietest 0.88 PPG draft year I’ve ever seen from an OHL defencemen.
He’s in a tier with a bunch of elite players, yet no one seems to be talking about him, which I think is the perfect microcosm of his game. He’s such an efficient player, making smart, subtle decisions throughout the course of the game that you may not notice, but help tilt the ice in his team’s favour.”

There was an expectation that he would take some time to adapt to the North American ice but he hit the ground running and didn’t look back. He produced immediately as a powerplay guy that can move the puck well or use his poise to control the puck with speed. As the season went on, he clearly became more confident in his abilities and was willing to carry the puck more. He can be skilled with the puck, making quick movements as he barrels down the ice with speed.

He has a complete game in the offensive zone using his puck distribution abilities, skating and shot to create offence on the rush or while in the zone. His ability to attack when the opportunity is there is really something that stands out about his game. He shows that he is smart with his reads and when he is attacking, he knows there is something to benefit from it. As the season went on, his forays on the attack became more frequent and were exciting to see.