Elias Pettersson | #40 | C

[cyoung]

7 hours ago, AlwaysACanuckFan said:

 

 

 

 

 

Glad he's focused on progressing as a player and not getting caught up in signing a contract so early. He will be a project and he knows it. 

[GreyHatnDart]

59 minutes ago, cyoung said:

Glad he's focused on progressing as a player and not getting caught up in signing a contract so early. He will be a project and he knows it. 

Agreed. A little disappointing to not see him at main camp with the big boys, but I respect a person who is able to say that they want to keep working harder and getting better at their current level before taking the next step. 

 

This is kid is gonna be good. 

[Salmonberries]

1 hour ago, S'all Good Man said:

I don't think he is. He said himself it was just a minor thing, he's clearly not labouring or at least its not showing up on the ice. I doubt he'd jeopardize his season in Sweden in Sep. if it was anything remotely serious. 

I still think I would prefer he not play in these kinds of summer evaluation competitions with a sore hip. Let it heal, it's going to be a long career. Chronic problems with his hip is something he doesn't need.

[cyoung]

11 minutes ago, Salmonberries said:

I still think I would prefer he not play in these kinds of summer evaluation competitions with a sore hip. Let it heal, it's going to be a long career. Chronic problems with his hip is something he doesn't need.

Unfortunately it's such a cut throat business now. Missing these things (if you aren't a generational talent) can hinder your chances or that is most likely the mindset these kids have. 

[Salmonberries]

Just now, cyoung said:

Unfortunately it's such a cut throat business now. Missing these things (if you aren't a generational talent) can hinder your chances or that is most likely the mindset these kids have. 

Yet we talk about the year long grind and how it shortens careers all the time here, especially lately. I don't blame the kid of course, he's part of a culture, but it a self  destructive mindset I think. And I did wonder if might be hurt when I saw him out there honestly.

[GoBoGo53]

5 hours ago, DS4quality said:

I thought this was fairly accurate. He wasn't outstanding yet, the puck followed him a quite a bit, he was in on a lot of the offensive zone plays when he was on the ice.

Yeah he was clearly dealing with something, he's not at 100% but still looked decent. 

Off topic but Casey Mittelstadt (BUF), Lias Anderson (NYR) and Timothy Liljegren (TOR) looked really, really good. Three standouts for me.

Edited August 4, 2017 by GoBoGo53

[cyoung]

2 hours ago, Salmonberries said:

Yet we talk about the year long grind and how it shortens careers all the time here, especially lately. I don't blame the kid of course, he's part of a culture, but it a self  destructive mindset I think. And I did wonder if might be hurt when I saw him out there honestly.

I totally agree. 

[Rob_Zepp]

3 hours ago, GoBoGo53 said:

Yeah he was clearly dealing with something, he's not at 100% but still looked decent. 

Off topic but Casey Mittelstadt (BUF), Lias Anderson (NYR) and Timothy Liljegren (TOR) looked really, really good. Three standouts for me.

I agree on Anderson and Lijegren but not on Mittlestadt who I think benefited from good line mates.   He looks slow to me and rushes plays and was horrid on back checking.   I thought he has been outplayed by the Canucks lower second round pick so far - just isn't showing up on scoresheet which can happen in a short tourney and of course who is on your line matters.

[Boudrias]

It is August! Kind of a waste of time for the prospects. They are forced to participate so they can register with their coaching. I watch the fundamentals. 

[Major Canucks Fan]

I think everyone is worried too much about him. I watched every minute of that highlight film and here is a few tidbits of what I noticed about him and anderson. I don't think stats matter at all in a tournament like this or even at this age. Its the finite details that can tell you the difference between a future stud and a bust. 

 

1. Lias Anderson is a puck hound. Very hard on the puck and is far more physically mature. Hence he will look better. He can survive contact right now hence he can make plays carrying the puck. However, I question if he knows where he is going with it. It seems like he wants to carry it into space but doesn't have a plan of what to do with it in that space. On some particular plays his choice of where he is going is brutal. It's like saying, I can carry it somewhere and hang onto it but I won't be any closer to my goal than I was before. I think he has great value but will certainly need a playmaking centre to make him better. Without the puck I thought his reads were much better. But that could also be because he is playing with some decent playmakers. 

 

2. If you watch Petterson closely, you will notice something interesting. He has a plan of what he wants to do. He may not accomplish is all the time because, well, unlike Anderson, he can't survive contact and that has been well documented here. It reminds me a lot of the sedins in their early days. It seems like they always had a plan but was too weak to survive contact early to accomplish it. Hence we always thought they were just cycling it aimlessly. 

 

3. Petterson's game is very efficient. He will try plays and not waste time with them. He may lose the puck but that is because the plays will get him much closer to the end goal than just aimlessly carrying it. 

 

4. He understands the idea of time, space and angles. I can't stress this enough. When Steve Nash was asked why do you play soccer and how does it affect your basketball game he answered simply that it was about angles. If you watch him, he is not unlike most play making centres who like to draw defenders close to him. Reminds me a lot of how Henrik Sedin would hang onto the puck, even back peddle a bit to draw someone closer to him, then release it. He shifts players around him to create lanes to get the puck through, very intelligent at such an early age. Unlike Sedin, he actually can shoot, so defenders can't just leave him be off of the side wall. 

 

5. I question a bit his compete level because well, he really isn't trying too hard out there right now. But again, I suspect that he picks his spots on plays that have a high end reward and tries much harder on those. 

 

6. Liligren looked decent I thought. He might become the Cam Fowler of this year's draft. Very smooth and can transition the puck quickly. I haven't seen a shift by shift breakdown of Makar but I would imagine that there isn't that much difference between the two. d

 

In conclusion, having watched the shift by shift videos of some of the top drafted prospects I have to say you have to watch the game really closely to evaluate these players. Personally my pick was mittelstadt who reminded me a bit of a light weight version of Forsberg because I questioned Glass's puck handling as a center. But having watched Petterson closely I can see why they drafted him. There is a good reason why this guy put up such good numbers in a league with men while being at 160 pounds. I mean this is a junior tournament and he gets knocked around think about what happens when he plays against men. But his vision and hockey sense are off the charts. I would say he is like a Henrik Sedin but take away a bit of passing skill and add some skating and shooting ability. He will be elite one day when he can survive contact and now can actually accomplish some of the plays he planned because he could hang onto the puck a bit longer. We have seen it before with the Sedins. 

[Ihatetomatoes]

11 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

I agree on Anderson and Lijegren but not on Mittlestadt who I think benefited from good line mates.   He looks slow to me and rushes plays and was horrid on back checking.   I thought he has been outplayed by the Canucks lower second round pick so far - just isn't showing up on scoresheet which can happen in a short tourney and of course who is on your line matters.

Anderson did look great, definitely a do it all kind of player, no real weaknesses. If he develops a high end offensive game he could end up being one of the better players drafted.

 

Liljegren I thought looked great at some points but made a few plays that made me understand why he fell so far. One point at the end of the game he had the puck on his stick and a defender right on him, instead of making a pass he blasted the puck right into the defenders shin pads and the puck bounced out. Another time the puck got dumped into his own end, it was a 1v1 battle to retrieve the puck and he literally just backed off and let the forward take the puck, he didn't even engage at all. That was a play I could see how scouts would have warning bells going off. That said he still dropped to far considering his talent.

 

Mittlestadt looks amazing when he has the puck. Such great quick hands and makes great cuts with the puck. Pretty invisible otherwise though, kinda reminds me of a Kessel or Cammerleri type player, amazing if they're scoring goals but useless otherwise.

[Rob_Zepp]

2 minutes ago, Ihatetomatoes said:

Anderson did look great, definitely a do it all kind of player, no real weaknesses. If he develops a high end offensive game he could end up being one of the better players drafted.

 

Liljegren I thought looked great at some points but made a few plays that made me understand why he fell so far. One point at the end of the game he had the puck on his stick and a defender right on him, instead of making a pass he blasted the puck right into the defenders shin pads and the puck bounced out. Another time the puck got dumped into his own end, it was a 1v1 battle to retrieve the puck and he literally just backed off and let the forward take the puck, he didn't even engage at all. That was a play I could see how scouts would have warning bells going off. That said he still dropped to far considering his talent.

 

Mittlestadt looks amazing when he has the puck. Such great quick hands and makes great cuts with the puck. Pretty invisible otherwise though, kinda reminds me of a Kessel or Cammerleri type player, amazing if they're scoring goals but useless otherwise.

I am not sure Mittlestadt's game will work in NHL as he isn't the body type of Kessel or Cammy - he doesn't look like he has a compete level.   Other two look legit.

[Ihatetomatoes]

6 minutes ago, Major Canucks Fan said:

I think everyone is worried too much about him. I watched every minute of that highlight film and here is a few tidbits of what I noticed about him and anderson. I don't think stats matter at all in a tournament like this or even at this age. Its the finite details that can tell you the difference between a future stud and a bust. 

 

1. Lias Anderson is a puck hound. Very hard on the puck and is far more physically mature. Hence he will look better. He can survive contact right now hence he can make plays carrying the puck. However, I question if he knows where he is going with it. It seems like he wants to carry it into space but doesn't have a plan of what to do with it in that space. On some particular plays his choice of where he is going is brutal. It's like saying, I can carry it somewhere and hang onto it but I won't be any closer to my goal than I was before. I think he has great value but will certainly need a playmaking centre to make him better. Without the puck I thought his reads were much better. But that could also be because he is playing with some decent playmakers. 

 

2. If you watch Petterson closely, you will notice something interesting. He has a plan of what he wants to do. He may not accomplish is all the time because, well, unlike Anderson, he can't survive contact and that has been well documented here. It reminds me a lot of the sedins in their early days. It seems like they always had a plan but was too weak to survive contact early to accomplish it. Hence we always thought they were just cycling it aimlessly. 

 

3. Petterson's game is very efficient. He will try plays and not waste time with them. He may lose the puck but that is because the plays will get him much closer to the end goal than just aimlessly carrying it. 

 

4. He understands the idea of time, space and angles. I can't stress this enough. When Steve Nash was asked why do you play soccer and how does it affect your basketball game he answered simply that it was about angles. If you watch him, he is not unlike most play making centres who like to draw defenders close to him. Reminds me a lot of how Henrik Sedin would hang onto the puck, even back peddle a bit to draw someone closer to him, then release it. He shifts players around him to create lanes to get the puck through, very intelligent at such an early age. Unlike Sedin, he actually can shoot, so defenders can't just leave him be off of the side wall. 

 

5. I question a bit his compete level because well, he really isn't trying too hard out there right now. But again, I suspect that he picks his spots on plays that have a high end reward and tries much harder on those. 

 

6. Liligren looked decent I thought. He might become the Cam Fowler of this year's draft. Very smooth and can transition the puck quickly. I haven't seen a shift by shift breakdown of Makar but I would imagine that there isn't that much difference between the two. d

 

In conclusion, having watched the shift by shift videos of some of the top drafted prospects I have to say you have to watch the game really closely to evaluate these players. Personally my pick was mittelstadt who reminded me a bit of a light weight version of Forsberg because I questioned Glass's puck handling as a center. But having watched Petterson closely I can see why they drafted him. There is a good reason why this guy put up such good numbers in a league with men while being at 160 pounds. I mean this is a junior tournament and he gets knocked around think about what happens when he plays against men. But his vision and hockey sense are off the charts. I would say he is like a Henrik Sedin but take away a bit of passing skill and add some skating and shooting ability. He will be elite one day when he can survive contact and now can actually accomplish some of the plays he planned because he could hang onto the puck a bit longer. We have seen it before with the Sedins. 

Really good breakdown of Petterssons play. I too was incredibly impressed by the way he thinks the game, on offense the puck just follows him around the ice. Like you said unfortunately he doesn't have the strength yet to make a lot of the plays he wants to, which was compounded by playing on the small ice. You could tell he was used to having more room to make plays. 

 

I came away most impressed by his ability to create turnovers, with his elite hockey sense and ability to track the play and be where the puck is going combined with his incredible hand eye he was repeatedly knocking passes out of the air or intercepting them, it's an undervalued commodity in a player. Being great with the puck and creating offense in one thing, but being able to get the puck back from the opposing team so you can put those tools to use is a big deal. Ask Sens fans how undervalued Mark Stone is. That guy is a turnover machine, it leads to so many offensive opportunities.

 

I hate getting too excited about prospects before they've even played in the NHL but a trio of Pettersson, Horvat and Gaudette down the middle could be a nightmare for opposing teams. All 3 are hardworking puck hounds.

[Ihatetomatoes]

7 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

I am not sure Mittlestadt's game will work in NHL as he isn't the body type of Kessel or Cammy - he doesn't look like he has a compete level.   Other two look legit.

Fat boy Kessel or tiny Cammy? I think Mittlestadt has a better body type than those guys. You could be right about compete level but Mittlestadt is a pretty solid kid at almost 200lbs, I'm sure with some proper training he'll be fine body wise. I think Mittlestadt will be a decent NHL player just based on his hands alone, they really do look elite. It's the rest of his game that will determine just how valuable he will be.

[Major Canucks Fan]

58 minutes ago, Ihatetomatoes said:

Fat boy Kessel or tiny Cammy? I think Mittlestadt has a better body type than those guys. You could be right about compete level but Mittlestadt is a pretty solid kid at almost 200lbs, I'm sure with some proper training he'll be fine body wise. I think Mittlestadt will be a decent NHL player just based on his hands alone, they really do look elite. It's the rest of his game that will determine just how valuable he will be.

I think Mittelstadt will translate. His floor is basically Kyle Wellwood. He most likely will become a Chris Drury type of player depending on his compete level. Ceiling is a Forsberg light if he can develop some explosiveness and strength to his game. Again, if he gets as strong as Forsberg basically the puck will stick to him. 

[GoBoGo53]

Petterson is playing on the third line with Bratt and Karlstrom in 10 minutes vs Canada.

[komodo0921]

17 hours ago, cyoung said:

Glad he's focused on progressing as a player and not getting caught up in signing a contract so early. He will be a project and he knows it. 

Seems like another Boeser type. He's able to make mature decisions, based on the best option for his future as a player. He's not getting tempted by money. It's working for Brock, who's going to be the beneficiary of patience and it will work for Elias. 

My biggest concern for Elias is the 30-40 lbs he needs to put on. I would like to see him around the same size as Jonathan Toews. 6'2" 200-205 lbs. That's a lot of weight to pack on his frame but I really believe that's where he needs to be to be able to take the daily punishment a potential star like him will take in the NHL. I hope he can because he does have some aggression and physicality to his game. At 200-205, I see him being a big time star for the future.

[GoBoGo53]

1 hour ago, Ihatetomatoes said:

Anderson did look great, definitely a do it all kind of player, no real weaknesses. If he develops a high end offensive game he could end up being one of the better players drafted.

 

Liljegren I thought looked great at some points but made a few plays that made me understand why he fell so far. One point at the end of the game he had the puck on his stick and a defender right on him, instead of making a pass he blasted the puck right into the defenders shin pads and the puck bounced out. Another time the puck got dumped into his own end, it was a 1v1 battle to retrieve the puck and he literally just backed off and let the forward take the puck, he didn't even engage at all. That was a play I could see how scouts would have warning bells going off. That said he still dropped to far considering his talent.

 

Mittlestadt looks amazing when he has the puck. Such great quick hands and makes great cuts with the puck. Pretty invisible otherwise though, kinda reminds me of a Kessel or Cammerleri type player, amazing if they're scoring goals but useless otherwise.

I think this is a really good, fair post. 

 

Anderson may not have the high end skill of a Pettersson, but he showed he can snipe and play a really good complete game.

Completely agree with your assessment on Liljegren. It's clear he is very, very raw. But the tools as you mentioned talent wise are too good to ignore. You can coach out those bad plays out of him, but the elite skating, shot and hands/passing are impossible to teach.

I agree with the Kessel/Mittlestadt comparison. It's a good one. I think Casey doesn't have the shot that Phil does, but the playmaking, speed, and vision is there. He's very raw defensively. 

[cyoung]

1 hour ago, Ihatetomatoes said:

Fat boy Kessel or tiny Cammy? I think Mittlestadt has a better body type than those guys. You could be right about compete level but Mittlestadt is a pretty solid kid at almost 200lbs, I'm sure with some proper training he'll be fine body wise. I think Mittlestadt will be a decent NHL player just based on his hands alone, they really do look elite. It's the rest of his game that will determine just how valuable he will be.

Being 200lbs means nothing. He doesn't have any muscle and at 200lbs that's a bit scary lol

[3rdGenCanuck]

Sweden is playing Pettersson as their 3rd line center today. Unfortunate to see him move down in the lineup but it will be good to have him back in his natural position.