TLN Top 20 Prospects 2016: #7 Andreas Johnson

7 years ago

When you think of Swedish superstar forwards drafted in the seventh round, who exactly comes to mind? No, I’m not talking about Henrik Zetterberg or Daniel Alfredsson.

Andreas Johnson clocks in at number seven on our 2016 top prospects list, and for good reason. Johnson is a very exciting prospect who has often been looked over by the media. In case you have not been paying close attention to the SHL, Johnson has been an offensive force to be reckoned with for Frölunda HC over the past two seasons, dominating in front of the net and lighting up the league. Johnson is ready to make the transition to North America and potentially has a shot of making the Leafs out of training camp next season.

Without further adieu, ranked at number seven, here is our prospect profile on Andreas Johnson.

THE VOTES

Jeff	Ryan H.	Shawn	Ryan F.	Adam	Dom	Jess	Katy	Readers
7	7	9	16	6	10	5	8	10

Andreas Johnson was ranked number seven in both our 2014 and 2015 top prospect series.

PLAYER BIO

Position	Hometown	Height	Weight	Hand	2015 Team	Acquired
LW	Gavle, SWE	5’10	183	L	Frolunda (SHL)	2013 Draft (7-202)

THE STATS

SEASON	Age	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	TP	NHLe	PIM	+/-
2009-10	15	Frölunda HC U16	U16 SM	8	11	6	17	N/A	6	N/A
	15	Frölunda HC J18	J18 Elit	5	1	1	2	5.25	0	N/A
2010-11	16	Frölunda HC J18	J18 Elit	12	9	9	18	19.68	8	N/A
	16	Frölunda HC J18	J18 Allsvenskan	15	14	13	27	23.61	18	N/A
	16	Frölunda HC J20	SuperElit	30	9	5	14	7.65	4	N/A
2011-12	17	Frölunda HC J18	J18 Elit	3	3	5	8	34.99	2	10
	17	Frölunda HC J18	J18 Allsvenskan	3	6	0	6	26.24	2	3
	17	Frölunda HC J20	SuperElit	42	19	13	32	12.49	75	17
2012-13	18	Frölunda HC J20	SuperElit	42	23	31	54	21.09	54	29
	18	Frölunda HC	SHL	7	1	0	1	7.02	0	0
	18	Sweden U19 (all)	International-Jr	4	2	3	5	N/A	8	2
2013-14	19	Frölunda HC J20	SuperElit	4	1	4	5	20.5	0	1
	19	Frölunda HC	SHL	44	15	9	24	26.83	2	-1
	19	Sweden U20	WJC-20	7	3	3	6	38.66	6	5
	19	Sweden U20 (all)	International-Jr	15	9	4	13	N/A	10	9
2014-15	20	Frölunda HC	SHL	55	22	13	35	31.31	34	5
	20	Sweden	EHT	3	1	0	1	N/A	2	1
	20	Sweden (all)	International	3	1	0	1	N/A	2	1
2015-16	21	Frölunda HC	SHL	52	19	25	44	41.63	20	8
	21	Toronto Marlies	AHL	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0
	21	Sweden	EHT	2	0	1	1	N/A	0	0
	21	Sweden (all)	International	2	0	1	1	N/A	0	0

PROJECTION STATS

pGPSn	pGPSs	pGPS%	pGPS PPG	pGPS PP82	pGPSr
26 (13/18)	10 (13/18)	38.5% (7/18)	0.87 (2/18)	71.60 (2/18)	33.58 (4/18)

pGPSn: The number of matches between the subject and the player-seasons (one season by a single player, i.e, John Tavares 2008 OHL) in the historical sample.
pGPSs: The number of statistical matches that became NHL regulars. This is determined by playing 200 NHL games.
pGPS%: Simply s divided by n, this is the percentage of statistical matches that successfully became NHL players.
pGPS PPG: The NHL points per game of successful matches.
pGPS P82: The same as pGPS PPG, but stretched over 82 games.
pGPSr: A bit of a hybrid number, this pGPS Rating combines the percentage and points per game to produce a number that includes both likelihood of success and potential upside.

Based on the success of his historical comparables, Johnson is projected to become a second line forward.

To learn more about the Prospect Graduation Probabilities System, check out this post.

THE EYE TEST

Andreas Johnson is typically described as an undersized, skilled forward. He is able to effectively control the puck in all areas of the ice, particularly in front of the net. He has an above-average shot as well, and excels when positioned in front of/near the opponent’s net.

Johnson is also a very opportunistic player. His energy on the ice makes him very exciting to watch, and he is very quick on his feet. His knowledge of the game is remarkable; he is able to process the game at a high speed and can anticipate his opponent’s next moves.

AS SEEN ON TV

THE BUILDUP

Andreas Johnson has played hockey in Sweden for his entire career. He began in the Swedish junior leagues in 2009-10 where he soon rose from U16 to U18 in a matter of months and caught the attention of many scouts. Johnson was drafted by the Leafs in the seventh round of the 2013 NHL entry draft at 202nd overall. He played his first full SHL season in 2013-14, a year after his NHL draft year, and scored 24 points in 44 games, winning the SHL’s Rookie of the Year award in 2014. He went on to play another two seasons in the SHL.

In the 2015-16 season, Johnson scored a total of 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 52 SHL games. After a tough battle in the playoffs, his team (Fröulanda HC) went on to win the SHL championship.

He joined the Marlies amidst their playoff run near the end of last season. Johnson only had the opportunity to participate in two AHL games before being sidelined by a head injury, caused by a blindsided elbow to the head by Dan Kelly of the Albany Devils.

NEXT SEASON

It is likely that Johnson will be staying in North America for the 2016-17 season. Johnson does not have much left to prove overseas; 44 points in 52 SHL games was not only impressive but was good enough to leave Johnson ranked 6th overall in league scoring. I believe that Johnson’s departure from Sweden after his fantastic SHL season signified an end to his career in Sweden.

I also believe that Johnson is developed enough to potentially steal a roster spot on the Leafs right out of training camp. Though he does have a chance of making the Leafs, Johnson may also benefit from a few AHL games at the beginning of the season. 2 career AHL playoff games certainly did not give him enough time to adjust to the North American style of hockey. Management may see some benefit to starting Johnson in the AHL in a first or second line role.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The Leafs have a bright future ahead. With young talent constantly coming out of the woodworks, fans have plenty of things to look forward to. The Leafs 2013 draft class was not good, to say the least. With their first 3 picks, the Leafs selected Freddie Gauthier, Carter Verhaeghe and Fabrice Herzog. Verhage was traded away last season, and neither Gauthier or Herzog cracked our top 20/honourable mentions this year. Ouch. Bibeau was also selected in the 2013 draft, which helps distract from the first 3 picks. Johnson is the only potential home-run Leafs pick from that draft class, and he was selected in the seventh round!

Johnson was a low-risk pick at the time, considering the position he was drafted at. As the excitement surrounding him increased, the risk associated with the decisions being made involving him increased as well. Was developing Johnson overseas the correct decision? What exactly will Johnson turn out to be, a first line winger or a second line forward? These are all questions that Leafs management will hope to have answered by the end of next season.

I look forward to seeing Johnson in the NHL. I believe that his style of play will translate nicely onto North American ice, and though he will need a bit of an adjustment period, Johnson will thrive in the NHL. His style of play is suited for a first/second line role, and it will be interesting to see where he is placed under Babcock.

I’m going to leave you with one final thought; imagine a Johnson-Matthews/Nylander-Marner line.

You’re welcome.