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Toronto Maple Leafs have a gem in Andreas Johnsson

By Dave Stevenson

TORONTO, ON- JUNE 3 - Toronto Marlies left wing Andreas Johnsson (11) tries to keep the puck onside as the Toronto Marlies lose 2-1 to the Texas Stars in game two of the AHL Calder Cup Finals at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. June 3, 2018. The series is tied at a game a piece. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON- JUNE 3 - Toronto Marlies left wing Andreas Johnsson (11) tries to keep the puck onside as the Toronto Marlies lose 2-1 to the Texas Stars in game two of the AHL Calder Cup Finals at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. June 3, 2018. The series is tied at a game a piece. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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Remember the name Andreas Johnsson because he’s going to be a critical player for the Toronto Maple Leafs next season 

The Toronto Maple Leafs have completely rebuilt their organization. They’ve done this by infusing every level of their franchise with young talent. Obviously, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner get most of the attention. And rightfully so. Travis Dermott and Kasperi Kapanen got rewarded for their efforts this season and should have full-time jobs next season.

However, there’s one guy who should be critical for them next season and very few people outside of Toronto are talking about him. That guy? Andreas Johnsson. If Johnsson’s name sounds vaguely familiar, it’s probably because he had a nine-game cup of coffee in the regular season with the Leafs. During that stint, he impressed a lot of people and had two goals and an assist.

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He also appeared in six postseason games for the Leafs, putting up a goal and an assist. Among Leafs forwards with at least 75 five-on-five minutes during the regular season, Johnsson posted the second-best relative CorsiFor percentage and the highest relative scoring chances for percentage.

This highlights what he does well. Johnsson is extremely smart both with and without the puck. He does a lot of great things, most of which sadly don’t wind up on the scoresheet. But that’s OK, because Johnsson does a lot of things that do show up on the scoresheet.

He was the leading scorer for the 2018 Calder Cup Champion Toronto Marlies, posting an outstanding 24 points (10 goals and 14 assists) in 16 games. Johnsson might be only 5’10”, but he’s an extremely intense player. He plays with a ton of energy. Combine that with Johnsson’s unique skill set and you’ve got a gem.

Johnsson has been a solid goal scorer at every level he’s played at. This is a good sign for his NHL hopes. The Leafs need to infuse their roster with some more talent as they try to pull off the Holy Grail – four scoring lines. With 62 goals in his last 156 AHL games, Johnsson’s going to be a critical part of that strategy. His playmaking abilities are getting better with every year as well.

It’s very likely the Leafs will be losing Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, Tomas Plekanec, and James van Riemsdyk this summer. This gives Johnsson a clear path to getting a full-time spot in the lineup. Head coach Mike Babcock loves two-way guys and Johnsson plays an impressive two-way game. He handles the puck quite a bit but doesn’t make many mistakes. That’s something Babcock is going to love.

His versatile game, which allows him to fill a variety of roles, should give him an upper hand in the battle for playing time. It’s hard to find a skilled forward who can kill penalties, but Johnsson is one of them.

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Toronto will have to replace some good players next season. Luckily, they have Johnsson, who should make replacing those guys a lot easier. The Calder Trophy for best rookie is always a hard award to predict. But one has to think Johnsson is in an excellent position to emerge as one of the favorites. Especially if he can cement his spot in the Leafs top nine.

Johnsson is a restricted free agent, so it will be interesting to see what Toronto does with him. Do they give him a short deal at around $1 million per year? Or do the Leafs steal a page from the Nashville Predators playbook and take a risk by offering him a long-term deal? Whatever they decide to do, Johnsson’s going to be an important cog for the team next season.

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