Prospect Info: 2025 World Juniors

[SantosHalper]

it isn't going to get any better unless they make major changes to their developmental system.

This. I've been saying that for couple years.

 

[Scumbag Frank]

Posted this over on the Canucks board but first part is relevant for you guys here:

Came to watch Willander but quickly realized I was watching the ASP show...WOW.
Other than Hughes, that was as dominant a game by ASP from a d-man as you'll ever see. Clearly Sweden's best player in this tournament by a mile.
The mobility, offensive IQ, great outlet passing, but most noticeably, the absolutely booming wrist and slapshot. Was rated top 10 going into his draft and looks like his fall all the way to Detroit was totally unjustified.
If he can carry this over to the NHL, Detroit definitely won't be regretting that Hronek trade.

On Willander: very reminiscent of what Dan Hamhuis looked like at the NHL level.
He would be so annoying to play against as a forward. You come over the blueline and he's right up in your face, stripping the puck from you.
Always in the right position defensively, assertive and competes until he gets the puck back. No wonder he doesn't get scored on.
Offensively, he's not dynamic like ASP but he took lots of sneaky good wrist shots leading to good rebounds and near-goals. Nice facilitator with good passing as well. Looks like a typical PP2 d-man.

 

[Go Wings]

I have said it multiple times and I'll say it again: Trading away Gibson was stupid, really stupid.

He looked awesome tonight. He would have absolutely perfect for Detroit's 3rd pair behind Seider and ASP someday.

 

[lilidk]

Finnish hockey is cooked and it isn't going to get any better unless they make major changes to their developmental system. Finnish players always have heart, but the talent gap is bigger then ever. This tournament is all USA, Canada, and Sweden.

It's a very small country , only 5.5 million population

 

[Euro Twins]

I have said it multiple times and I'll say it again: Trading away Gibson was stupid, really stupid.

He looked awesome tonight. He would have absolutely perfect for Detroit's 3rd pair behind Seider and ASP someday.

We have other Gibson level prospects. We didn't trade away a special player.

 

[lilidk]

I have said it multiple times and I'll say it again: Trading away Gibson was stupid, really stupid.

He looked awesome tonight. He would have absolutely perfect for Detroit's 3rd pair behind Seider and ASP someday.

Yzerman get extra second for him to get rid of Walman

 

[lhsgolf19]

I have said it multiple times and I'll say it again: Trading away Gibson was stupid, really stupid.

He looked awesome tonight. He would have absolutely perfect for Detroit's 3rd pair behind Seider and ASP someday.

We have enough potential 3rd pair D-Men that have limited offensive potential... I'm glad we got the guy with more upside in Kiiskinen

 

[The Zermanator]

It might seem hard to imagine given the current state of the team, but we might have the best D corps in the league in a handful of years. A core of prime Seider, Edvinsson, and ASP sounds absolutely filthy.

 

[Air Budd Dwyer]

It might seem hard to imagine given the current state of the team, but we might have the best D corps in the league in a handful of years. A core of prime Seider, Edvinsson, and ASP sounds absolutely filthy.

Don’t you dare forget “Mike” Brady Cleveland.

 

[ShanahanMan]

We have enough potential 3rd pair D-Men that have limited offensive potential... I'm glad we got the guy with more upside in Kiiskinen

To be fair Kiiskinen did not look good

 

[Lampedampe]

Not worried about ASP's defense. He competes and is pretty strong for his size. With Mo and Ed the Wings have the defensive foundation in place, there's plenty of room for a guy who is primarily an offensive weapon. Don't see any reason ASP can't have an immediate offensive impact similar to Hutson or Zellweger. If he does that, you can live with a few defensive issues.

I'm one of those weird swedes that barely follow SHL anymore, but know plenty of people that do. So i can't confirm this from personal viewings, but when I inquired about ASP most people said that he's gifted offensively but also reliable defensively. In his draft year most people I spoke to were impressed by his defensive play, especially since when he came in people expected more of a pure offensive D-man.

He wouldn't get so much playing time in his d+1 year if he was a total liability defensivey. But whenever I read about him on these boards the sentiment always seems to be that he's Erik Karlssons level of inept defensively. Time will tell who's right, but despite all the claims, he doesn't play like a 4th forward by most accounts.

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

I'm one of those weird swedes that barely follow SHL anymore, but know plenty of people that do. So i can't confirm this from personal viewings, but when I inquired about ASP most people said that he's gifted offensively but also reliable defensively. In his draft year most people I spoke to were impressed by his defensive play, especially since when he came in people expected more of a pure offensive D-man.

He wouldn't get so much playing time in his d+1 year if he was a total liability defensivey. But whenever I read about him on these boards the sentiment always seems to be that he's Erik Karlssons level of inept defensively. Time will tell who's right, but despite all the claims, he doesn't play like a 4th forward by most accounts.

I've felt the same as what many people have mentioned to you. There are size limitations but ASP always impressed me with his willingness to battle and compete physically. I've never thought of him as a Karlsson type, partly though because it's crazy to project a HOF future for almost anyone. My comp for him has been a better skatiing Marek Zidlicky, short but strong, tough-minded and with a very good shot. It's nice to see that comp becoming more conservative by the day.

 

[Lampedampe]

I've felt the same as what many people have mentioned to you. There are size limitations but ASP always impressed me with his willingness to battle and compete physically. I've never thought of him as a Karlsson type, partly though because it's crazy to project a HOF future for almost anyone. My comp for him has been a better skatiing Marek Zidlicky, short but strong, tough-minded and with a very good shot. It's nice to see that comp becoming more conservative by the day.

I like the comparison, Zidlicky really had an impressive shot aswell. Wish he had come to detroit a couple years earlier than he did.

 

[raymond23]

Ovechkin from the blue line

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

I like the comparison, Zidlicky really had an impressive shot aswell. Wish he had come to detroit a couple years earlier than he did.

Likewise. He was one of my favorites too. Let's hope ASP is similar in that he ends up as the highest scoring defenseman of his Draft, in Zidlicky's case despite not coming to the NHL until he was 26.

 

[Preposterone]

Finnish hockey is cooked and it isn't going to get any better unless they make major changes to their developmental system. Finnish players always have heart, but the talent gap is bigger then ever. This tournament is all USA, Canada, and Sweden.

Finland is basically Minnesota in terms of inhabited area and population, for reference. they have leveraged their dev system to keep up with the other big hockey nations to this point, but I genuinely question their ability to keep up as other countries improve their development methods

 

[Go Wings]

We have other Gibson level prospects. We didn't trade away a special player.

Oh yah like who?

Yzerman get extra second for him to get rid of Walman

What an amazing trade that was to get rid of one our better defensemen.

We have enough potential 3rd pair D-Men that have limited offensive potential... I'm glad we got the guy with more upside in Kiiskinen

Yah we definitely don't need a huge RD that can skate well, play defense and is physical. Thank God we have another winger prospect.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

My goodness. Thinking about naming my next child Axel at this point!

Dont do it til he makes the team. I named my son Hat-Trick Dick and not a day has gone by that I haven't regretted it.

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

My goodness. Thinking about naming my next child Axel at this point!

You don't have to stop with just your next child being named Axel. The one after that can be Double and the next one Triple. Boy or girl even.

 

[ricky0034]

every time I think about ASP it makes me think of how much of his offense he's gonna lose in his couple years in the AHL and it makes me feel so bummed out

 

[Pavels Dog]

He still makes me worried about how he'll handle physical play in the NHL and whether or not he'll become Adam Fox, Shayne Gostisbehere or Adam Boqvist. I think those are legit concerns.

I never really saw "it" with Boqvist like I do with ASP. Now granted that's in large part because Boqvist was mishandled as a prospect, but still.
He's also more competitive/engaged defensively than Ghost.
There's still concerns with his lack of size/reach and non-elite skating, I would advice people to not expect him to step into the NHL next season unless we're willing to live with him getting burned defensively at times. But at some point you have to believe what you see.

 

[Frk It]

I have said it multiple times and I'll say it again: Trading away Gibson was stupid, really stupid.

He looked awesome tonight. He would have absolutely perfect for Detroit's 3rd pair behind Seider and ASP someday.

I think we will regret trading him away about as much as we did Regula.

 

[Frk It]

every time I think about ASP it makes me think of how much of his offense he's gonna lose in his couple years in the AHL and it makes me feel so bummed out

This is silly for like 100 reasons.