NHL Draft Profile: Timra IK forward Elias Pettersson is one of the top-ranked European skaters in 2017. Playing in the Swedish second-tier league (Allsvenskan), Pettersson has 27 points in 27 games. He’s also representing Team Sweden at the World Juniors.
Set to be held on June 23/24th in Chicago, Illinois, the 2017 NHL Draft will mark the 55th time for the annual event. There isn’t a lot of buzz surrounding this year’s crop of talent, but it doesn’t mean that teams won’t find cornerstone pieces for the future.
To help get fans better acquainted with draft-eligible prospects, we plan to roll out a whack load of draft profiles and numerous mock drafts over the next few months. Make sure to keep us bookmarked for all your NHL draft coverage.
With the NHL‘s 31st franchise set to debut, we’ll obviously have one extra pick in each round for a total 217 opposed to 210 from previous years. The Vegas Golden Knights will be given the 3rd highest odds in the Draft Lottery, the same spot Edmonton occupied in 2015-16 before dropping to 4th. Las Vegas will then receive the 3rd pick in each subsequent round.
Elias Pettersson, Timra IK (Allsvenskan – Sweden)
Height/Weight: 6’2/161lbs
Position (handedness): C/LW (left)
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy): 11/12/1998
Birthplace: Sundsvall, Sweden
Player Bio/Stats
Elias Pettersson has been climbing the ranks of Swedish hockey over the past few years. He peaked in the SuperElit in 2015-16 posting 14 points in 22 games, eventually leading to a promotion with Timra IK of the Allsvenskan (second highest tier in Sweden). He tallied nine points in 25 games as a 17-year-old rookie. Now 18, Pettersson is making some noise with 27 points in 27 games in his second season.
He’s also representing Team Sweden at the World Juniors (medal rounds currently being conducted). It’s been a quiet tournament for the youngster, but he should take on a bigger leadership role next year as a 19-year-old.
Talent Analysis/Skill-Set
All in all, Pettersson is the complete package. I wouldn’t call him an elite defensive forward, but he can certainly play in all three zones. Elias particularly excels in the offensive zone as a dangerous offensive weapon. Whether he’s dishing out the puck to set up another man or driving the net himself, Pettersson is always around the crease generating scoring chances.
The Swede is a difficult player to project. Neither his skating nor shooting abilities stand out whatsoever in comparison to other top 2017 draft-eligible prospects, but he reads the game very well. Elias always seems to be in the right places on both the offensive/defensive side. Whether he’s blocking passing lanes, forcing turnovers, or sliding into the slot undetected, Pettersson knows exactly where he needs to be at all times.
Quotes
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Jeff Marek via Sportsnet,
“The cliché “200-foot game” applies to Pettersson. The younger brother of Nashville prospect Emil Pettersson, he’s a lanky centre who excels at distributing the puck. Still very lean and needs to pack on some pounds for the next step, but as he gets stronger and more mature the debate will be how high can he go? Because the potential is there.”
via HFBoards (user: PuckPoise)
“He’s just a natural. Great smarts on both ends, awesome hand-eye and passing ability, controls the puck so well. No real electrifying weapons, so very smart and so gifted, just natural instincts and knack for reading the game and creating chances.”
“I dunno if John Tavares is a reasonable style comparison, but someone like that who hasn’t elite skating or a rocket of a shot but still creates things with his smarts and hands all the time.”
Next: Vegas Golden Knights Mock Expansion Draft Roundtable
NHL Player Comparison: John Tavares, New York Islanders (HFBoards user PuckPoise)
The Tavares comparison is the best I can think of as well. If you want to look back a little further in history, we could use Luc Robitaille as an example.