{"id":1677,"date":"2016-10-01T17:29:45","date_gmt":"2016-10-01T21:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=1677"},"modified":"2016-10-02T22:16:24","modified_gmt":"2016-10-03T02:16:24","slug":"maple-leafs-andreas-johnson-has-potential-to-be-cinderella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2016\/10\/01\/maple-leafs-andreas-johnson-has-potential-to-be-cinderella\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Leafs Andreas Johnsson, A Potential Cinderella Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

In sports where the draft is an annual event, players who are brought into the limelight are first round selections. The\u00a0NBA<\/strong>‘s draft consists of two rounds, so players taken in the second round aren’t guaranteed to make it. As for the\u00a0NFL<\/strong>, the difference in talent level is arguably smaller than any of the “big four” sports, therefore making every team’s pick almost just as valuable as the rest. The\u00a0MLB<\/strong>‘s draft has up to 40 rounds due to the various levels in the minor leagues.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0NHL<\/strong> is awfully similar to the NFL’s seven-round format. One big difference is that\u00a0players selected in the lower rounds often don’t play for the organization that drafted them. Every once and a while NHL<\/a> teams will become lucky when they select a player\u00a0late in the draft. Only a handful of these young men\u00a0will come up and make a career in the big leagues. There are low\u00a0expectations for these players, but if they exceed what’s expected of them, it’s another case of a\u00a0Cinderella story.\u00a0Toronto Maple Leafs<\/strong>\u00a0forward\u00a0Andreas Johnsson\u00a0<\/strong>has the potential to be Cinderella.<\/p>\n

Maple Leafs Andreas Johnsson, A Potential Cinderella Story<\/h2>\n

Formerly known as Andreas Johnson<\/em>, Johnsson has been gaining attention ever since\u00a0finishing fifth in goals scored in the\u00a0SHL\u00a0<\/strong>as a 20-year old in the 2014-15 season. One year later, Johnsson tied the league for fifth\u00a0in points scored. This kind of production is similar to what\u00a0Henrik Zetterberg<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>posted in the SHL following his draft year.\u00a0Throughout the two seasons\u00a0Zetterberg played in the SHL before reaching the NHL, he scored 78 points in 95 games. That’s a respectable 0.82 points-per-game for a player playing two and three years, respectively, past his draft year.\u00a0As for Johnsson, when we compare his SHL numbers to Zetterberg at the same age and post-draft years, the 21-year old has scored 79 points in 107 games, sitting at about 0.74 points-per-game.<\/p>\n

To add some context, Zetterberg’s team, Timra IK<\/strong>,\u00a0finished ninth out of 12 teams in his first year and last in his second year.\u00a0Frolunda,\u00a0<\/strong>Johnsson’s Swedish squad, finished in second place in both\u00a0seasons that were taken into consideration.<\/p>\n

Comparing these two Swedes isn’t to say that Johnsson will develop into the same tier as Zetterberg did. However, it is interesting to look at their point totals post-draft year. It’s also very coincidental when you take into account how both players were drafted in the seventh round of their NHL Entry Drafts: Zetterberg was pick 210, Johnsson was selection 202.<\/p>\n

A Hopeful Future<\/h3>\n

Looking away from the numbers, when watching Johnsson on the ice, it’s obvious<\/a> he\u00a0oozes the skill and speed that can translate into the professional game. His skating speed and wrist shot release are both impressive aspects of his offensive game.<\/p>\n

In terms of pure offensive skill alone,\u00a0Maple Leafs fans can be hopeful to see Johnsson reach the NHL some day. Last season, the speedy winger barely\u00a0played two playoff games for the\u00a0Toronto Marlies<\/strong>, <\/em>until\u00a0a hit to the head ended his brief\u00a0AHL<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>stint. With pre-season currently underway, Johnsson has yet to play his first game in the Leafs new jersey, but don’t expect him to make the leap into the NHL this season. After making his mark in the SHL over the past three years, it’s likely Toronto’s brass will have him start on the Marlies roster for the 2016-17 season.<\/p>\n

Most agree that\u00a0late round picks often have little-to-no chances at making any noise in the big leagues, regardless the sport. Every so often, but rarely, players will beat expectations and make a name for themselves. This makes\u00a0their path to professional stardom that much more of a feel-good story. It’s too soon to tell exactly where Johnsson will peak, but he has the potential to turn into an effective forward at the professional level.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n