Prospect Info: With the #24 pick, the Wild select (D) Filip Johansson (Allsvenskan, Leksands IF)

[2Pair]

Veleno has incredible skating, a great hockey IQ, great playmaking ability, good goal scoring ability, a good two-way game, good vision, and is generally seen as a dynamic center with top-6, if not #1 potential by a majority of reports. Looking at highlights you can corroborate all those traits. I mean, there's a reason he was drafted as an exceptional player into the CHL. His weaknesses at the draft were considered to be strength (which at 17 shouldn't even be considered a weakness) and the question of his offensive potential (which he helped squash at the end of last season and certainly this season).

Johansson was a reach, plain and simple. He's a safe, smart, defensive, maybe two-way defenseman. His weaknesses at the draft were speed and balance which are harder to improve (especially speed). His offense was severely lacking in an inferior league. He has no outstanding qualities. By comparison, Brodin performed roughly the same in the junior tournaments, and actually performed better offensively in a better league, and was noted to be better defensively as well, and he turned into a 4, maybe 3 guy who scores 20 points.

When the potential of a guy like Veleno is still on the board and address positions of dire need, why are we reaching with this pick? If Dumba is assumed to be playing the 1RD position for the long term, is addressing the guy behind him really as important as addressing the fact that our top 2 centers are 35+ and our only real replacement option is maybe Ek if he figures out how to be an NHL player?

When looking at all of this, would YOU have picked Johansson?

Do you believe that Fenton and Flahr didn't know everything that you know about these 2 players?

 

[AKL]

Do you believe that Fenton and Flahr didn't know everything that you know about these 2 players?

I believe they knew all these things, and I believe they had a reason for still taking Johansson over Veleno (or anyone else for that matter). I don't agree that it was necessarily a good reason or a good decision just because they're Fenton and Flahr and I'm me.

I would like to know their reason, because it seems like they got tunnel vision for a Brodin-lite, and the pick makes very little sense for multiple reasons.

 

[Al Lagoon]

Dumba was on Team Canada in 2014.

Alex Tuch was on Team USA in 2015.

Johansson was on Sweden's U16, 17, 18, and 20 teams, and played in the WHC-17 and WHC-18, just like Tuch, just like Dumba.

Tuch didn't make the cut after his draft year, just like it appears Johansson hasn't, and just like Dumba didn't.

Let's see how he is doing next year before this becomes an issue.

 

[2Pair]

I believe they knew all these things, and I believe they had a reason for still taking Johansson over Veleno (or anyone else for that matter). I don't agree that it was necessarily a good reason or a good decision just because they're Fenton and Flahr and I'm me.

I would like to know their reason, because it seems like they got tunnel vision for a Brodin-lite, and the pick makes very little sense for multiple reasons.

I have zero argument with this take. I have zero clue if it was the right pick or not, and I can't blame anyone that is skeptical at this point. I do have an argument for anyone saying that it's obvioulsy a bad pick already. That fact isn't and can't be known at this point.

I do have one question for all of the people that really hate this pick.
Give me one reason that Fenton/Flahr would make this pick, other than them thinking he was the best possible guy they could get?

 

[AKL]

I have zero argument with this take. I have zero clue if it was the right pick or not, and I can't blame anyone that is skeptical at this point. I do have an argument for anyone saying that it's obvioulsy a bad pick already. That fact isn't and can't be known at this point.

I do have one question for all of the people that really hate this pick.
Give me one reason that Fenton/Flahr would make this pick, other than them thinking he was the best possible guy they could get?

I have no doubt that they think this is the best pick they could have made. I just question why they thought that.

 

[2Pair]

I have no doubt that they think this is the best pick they could have made. I just question why they thought that.

I question it as well. I just don't assume that they're wrong because someone wrote a blog.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Consensus rankings in 2015 still puts Strome ahead of Marner, Provorov, Werenski, Barzal, Rantanen, etc... Still puts Crouse ahead of Barzal and Rantanen... Zacha ahead of Connor... ERIKSSON EK AHEAD OF BOESER

In 2014: Puts Dal Colle ahead of Draisaitl, Nylander, Ehlers... TUCH AHEAD OF PASTRNAK... a whole ton of nobodies ahead of Brayden Point

In 2017 (still early, but still): Puljujarvi ahead of Tkachuk, Dubois, Keller... Juolevi and Alex Nylander in the top 10.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Johansson was on Sweden's U16, 17, 18, and 20 teams, and played in the WHC-17 and WHC-18, just like Tuch, just like Dumba.

Tuch didn't make the cut after his draft year, just like it appears Johansson hasn't, and just like Dumba didn't.

Let's see how he is doing next year before this becomes an issue.

Totally agree.

2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships rosters - Wikipedia
2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships rosters - Wikipedia

Tuch didn't make it in his draft+2 I believe which was disappointing - but he's looking pretty ok!

Johansson was a reach, so what? He's our guy to cheer for basically until he isn't. A middle-pair guy would be a great outcome when all around these late-first picks will likely be real busts. Just happens. Plus, it appears Flahr is on his way out the door, with his conservative philosophy.

I like winning hockey but fun winning hockey has something more.

 

[57special]

I understand how you feel and that you most likely could have drafted him in a later round. Having said that I have watched every Leksand game and Filip has had a remarkable season and at the end of the season when we played for promotion to the SHL he was arguably the best defenseman on the team, maybe it doesn't show in the point totals but the way he handled himself under pressure and his first pass was just exceptional. The coaches heavily relied on him in all situations. Haven't been this excited about a young defenseman on my beloved Leksand since Oliver Ekman Larsson played here. I hope he continues to improve like this next season and gets his offense going, then hopefully one day you will be happy about this pick after all.

You seem to be one of the few people who have actually watched FJ extensively. Can you talk Wild fans off the ledge here? His stats are underwhelming, to say the least.

 

[SweLeafsFan]

You seem to be one of the few people who have actually watched FJ extensively. Can you talk Wild fans off the ledge here? His stats are underwhelming, to say the least.

To be honest he has not played well at all this season but the entire team is struggling. We had a head coach change a couple of games ago and things are looking a bit better hopefully Filip can get back to how he ended last season.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

To be honest he has not played well at all this season but the entire team is struggling. We had a head coach change a couple of games ago and things are looking a bit better hopefully Filip can get back to how he ended last season.

how was he last season? or should i say how did he look?

 

[SweLeafsFan]

how was he last season? or should i say how did he look?

Check the quote in 57special's post above.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Check the quote in 57special's post above.

my bad, read that before n just forgot about it. cheers.

 

[57special]

To be honest he has not played well at all this season but the entire team is struggling. We had a head coach change a couple of games ago and things are looking a bit better hopefully Filip can get back to how he ended last season.

Thanks for the info. Don't be a stranger!

 

[thestonedkoala]

I have no doubt that they think this is the best pick they could have made. I just question why they thought that.

Two reasons; the Wild lean heavily on defensive players. That's the bread and butter for Lapointe and what they are comfortable picking. They aren't going to rock the boat with a new GM and going to pick what they are comfortable and safe with. The other is Bokk is from a non-traditional power-house country. Germany has produced NHL players, but never a star. Draisaitl is breaking that mold, but before him the best was - uh...Kolzig (goaltender), Sturm (journeyman), Ehrhoff (good defenseman)...Grabovski. This goes back to why Kopitar wasn't picked higher and just how traditional the NHL is. Veleno was probably overanalyzed and they started picking apart his game. He's been on the radar since getting the exceptional status and it's easy to pick apart his game as he didn't do much for the first few years. He was a disappointment in terms of development and points up until after his draft year. It happens.

 

[AJ Thelen]

He now has 37 games, 1 assist, -15.
The new regime after Leif Carlsson got sacked does not value him as high, and there is rumours saying their patience is up and that they are moving him down to the J20 league instead.

 

[Wild11MN]

He now has 37 games, 1 assist, -15.
The new regime after Leif Carlsson got sacked does not value him as high, and there is rumours saying their patience is up and that they are moving him down to the J20 league instead.

Source?

 

[57special]

To think we could be wondering whether Veleno would be playing in the NHL next year if he had a good training camp, and debating about whether it would be smarter to leave him down in the Q for half a season, or the AHL, or whether he would be at least two/three years away...instead we have a rumour that FJO might be demoted down another level. It might be 2-3 years before he even plays SHL!
Just a freaking downer.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Source?

The rumor seems true. His elite-prospects page now has superelit J20 as his primary team.

 

[2Pair]

The rumor seems true. His elite-prospects page now has superelit J20 as his primary team.

where are you seeing that?

 

[Wild11MN]

where are you seeing that?

There's an entry for "Leksands IF J20" under the teams he's played for this year with no stats. No idea if that was there earlier, and I can't find any source anywhere that says he was moved down. It doesn't say U20 up top under his name either.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

where are you seeing that?

Look at his stats. The primary team is the first one ever year.

 

[2Pair]

Look at his stats. The primary team is the first one ever year.

no, it isn't

 

[Wabit]

Eh, the kid got sent down to a league where he's had some success. Maybe it'll do him some good and he'll remember there is an entire half of the ice he seems to not know about (totally guessing on this from his lack of o-zone production).

 

[Wild11MN]

Look at his stats. The primary team is the first one ever year.

That's definitely not the case. Look at each of the past two years.