Meet Magnus
December 30th, 2008 by Steve
Leafs fans might need to console themselves with a pick other than John Tavares or Victor Hedman. Personally I don’t actually think the Leafs should be aiming for Tavares anyway. Hedman would look nice in blue and white, following in the swedish footsteps of Mats Sundin and Borje Salming. I know Brian Burke has been rumoured to shy away from the not as physical Europeans, but that being said, I think they could use some of the skill available from overseas this year.
If the Leafs are looking for a dose of skill up front though, I would be looking at the leading scorer for the Swedes at the World Juniors so far. Magnus Svensson Pääjärvi, is easily one of the most talented forwards at the tournament, and despite being draft eligible THIS season, is leading the way in scoring for the Swedes, ahead of older players on the club who have already been drafted. Standing 6′1″ and 198 lbs, Pääjärvi is similar in size to Tavares, but he patrols LW and thus is not as undersized positionally. He’s been playing with the Men’s side for Timra, in the Swedish Eliteserien fairly capably this season. In addition to slick stick handling skills, he also skates like the wind, and has shown a nose for the net, projecting as a solid sniper. Despite that fact, he is also a gifted playmaker.
Check out this video clip to see the passing skills and vision on display. He is already being compared to Forsberg and Sundin in his homeland, and it wouldn’t surprise me if long term he has a similar impact on the NHL. I personally feel he is easily a top 5 draft pick this season, and he could likely go as high as #3 after the consensus top picks Hedman and Tavares.
I think if the Leafs finish 3rd last, and Atlanta and the Islanders manage to get Hedman or Tavares, Magnus Svensson Pääjärvi would be a damn fine consolation prize 3rd overall. This is a VERY deep draft, and everyone needs to remember that dropping to the bottom isn’t really in the best interests of cultivating a winning atmosphere with the prospects already on the team right now.
Posted in Player Analysis, Prospects
11 Responses to “Meet Magnus”
By mthompson
on Dec 30, 2008
awesome write-up on MSP, i could not have put it in better words. if i were the leafs though, and i had to “settle” for Schroeder after Magnus goes off the board, i wouldn’t be too down.
By Yuri Suderov
on Dec 31, 2008
3rd overall will be an interesting selection. It really all depends on what team gets it, if it is Tampa, you will surely see Jared Cowan go 3rd. If it is Toronto, I would guess a toss up between MSP, Evander Kane, Matt Duchene or Jordan Schroeder. Maybe Brayden Schenn but I think he will go more around the 6-10 area. As you can see by the names I mentioned I am fairly confident the Leafs will take a forward.
By Steve
on Dec 31, 2008
I agree that the selection will be interesting, and frankly due to the depth of the draft, I honestly think the Leafs tanking just to get Tavares or Hedman is a bit idiotic.
There are 5-8 players that I think have the potential to be future superstars in the NHL in this draft. I know, they won’t all pan out that way… but the potential is there.
I would also argue that Tavares and Hedman aren’t surefire superstars themselves. They will likely be awesome in the long run, but things happen to players with a lot of pressure on them that often make it hard to reach the lofty heights expected of them.
I’ll be perfectly happy with any of those players selected. Heck, if I’m the Leafs I’d work at trying to get MULTIPLE first round picks rather than the first overall pick. More picks early in this draft will be better for the team in the long run, than just another singleton (a la Schenn).
By Yuri Suderov
on Dec 31, 2008
They probably well get more than 1st, Antropov and Kabby should each get one. They are more likely to be in the 15-30 range. If he falls to them Ryan Ellis would look great on the same D-pairing as Luke Schenn, maybe make a Rafalski -Stevens type pairing.
By Steve
on Dec 31, 2008
Ellis isn’t draft eligible until 2010. His D could also use some work, and he is undersized, but his skill is second to none for 16 year old D men.
By Yuri Suderov
on Dec 31, 2008
No Ellis is a 2009 prospect. http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/feature/?id=11732
It says his draft year under “pro status”.
By Steve
on Dec 31, 2008
I stand corrected. I just noticed his ‘91 birthday and assumed 2010. Apologies for that. My other comments stand though… I think his D is a bit weak, and he is undersized to go that high. He’ll probably drop a bit because of it.
If people are comparing him to Rafalski that’s fine, but they should remember Rafalski had to play in Finland for a few years before he made it to the NHL as a free agent.
By Yuri Suderov
on Dec 31, 2008
Well actually the Rafalski comparisons have yet to come from anyone but yours truely.(To the best of my knowledge) I don’t think anyone is suggesting you will see him anytime soon, and I would not take him with the first pick. If the Leafs get a 2nd pick in the 10-20 range than they would take him, but he is too much of a risk to be taken with a top 10 selection.
By Steve
on Dec 31, 2008
I’d rank him as a 2nd rounder at best due to the size concerns on D. If you moved him to the wing and played him on the point on the PP that might make sense, but I don’t think he’s an NHL D man physically… I’ll likely be proven wrong down the line I just think he’ll be a while before he develops to the NHL level.
There are some other players I’d take before I’d grab Ellis as skilled as he is.
By Yuri Suderov
on Jan 1, 2009
No doubt it would take a while, he probably wouldn’t be a regular for about 4-5 years. For a 17 year old he is incredibly calm, he makes good decisions with the puck, he is fast, and he can QB the PP as well as anyone. Detroit won the cup last year in large part to the way their defense could move the puck. Small defensmen can get by in this league and if he is paired with Schenn, he would be able to do fancy rushes because he would have a rock who could make up for his defensive discrepancies.
By bkblades
on Jan 1, 2009
Ellis, while noticeably undersized and defensively weak at this point, is rated as a mid-first rounder. I would be very surprised if he falls to the 2nd round.