Rasmus Andersson

[cross16]

I agree that Anderson reminds me of Denis Wideman but not in a negative way. Denis Wideman in his prime was a pretty solid offensive 3-4 Dman who had defensive issues and wasn't a pretty skater but got it done. I see all of that on Anderson. So while k get people hear Wideman and cringe they shouldn't. If you can pull a 3-4 Dman with the PP ability out of the 2nd round you've scored.

Gio isn't a good comparison IMO. At the same age Gio was a fierce competitor and a guy who looked to make plays wherever he could. Anderson doesn't have the same fire of fiestiness Gio had at the same age and his play making ability is contained to the offensive zone.

Throwing Brodie out in a comparable I tough. I get it for a skills perspective but Brodie's development path was insane. Hard to duplicate.

[travel_dude]

^^^^

 

I can't say I saw Gio play when he was in junior.  So, my comparison is about size, skating, shot and stats.  He's known for being the QB on the PP and for his good passing, not his skating.  I think his fitness level is partly responsible for his skating and his defensive miscues.  He looks winded when he ends up being in the wrong spot on a goal.

 

Brodie was more the effortless skating.  If you have it at an early age along with offense, then you have a leg up.  Maybe I was seeing more than was really there, but I saw glimpses that reminded me of Brodie.

 

 

 

And just to make it clear, I am talking about years down the road, not overnight.  Both players could probably lead the Oilers D in offense, but that isn't saying much.

[cccsberg]

To me Andersson reminds me of Dennis Wideman in every single way. I'm probably the biggest Wideman hater on the forums, so that probably tells you what I think of Andersson.

Kylington will be a Sami Vantanen type of player.

He may have some attributes similar to Wideman, but two orders of magnitude better.  Don't think that's a problem........

I have him and Kylington tied, but for different reasons.  This may sound crazy, but I see them like this:

 

Andersson ===> Gio

Kylington   ===> Brodie

 

Maybe the Kylington/Brodie reference is weak, but I see the elite skating helping him to become more like Brodie; good offensive instincts, but can cover the ice in a pinch.  Needs work on his defensive positioning but he is just a pup.

No more like:

Kylington ===> Karlsson

Andersson ===> hmmmm, Gio?

[JTech780]

He may have some attributes similar to Wideman, but two orders of magnitude better. Don't think that's a problem........

No more like:

Kylington ===> Karlsson

Andersson ===> hmmmm, Gio?

Wideman's OHL numbers are almost identical to Andersson's.

[cross16]

If you mean Erik Karlsson I would say that is quite a ways off. I get the skating/Swedish comparison but Erik Karlsson is a far more dynamic player with a lite offensive instincts that Kylington just doesn't have. He's more your two way dman, not your elite offensive style.

It's a boring comparison but the more I see Kylington the more the Oduya comparison makes sense. Steady dman that won't be elite in any one area, won't be physical but can use skating ability to get in hand out of trouble and use it to overcome size concerns. I don't see anything in Kylingtons game that makes me believe he will be an elite level offensive producer at the NHL level.

I also think people get too caught up in player comparisons. If Andersson turns out like Wideman everyone should be thrilled because that means you are scoring a top 4 blue liner who can be a first pp unit guy and you got that in the 2nd round. That's excellent. If Kylington wound up as Oduya then again you have a pretty good top 4 dman who can play top 3 on occasion. Both of those in the 2nd round is excellent value. Thinking that you got a prospect in the 2nd round that is significantly better than the player Wideman has been, or as good as Karlsson is setting these guys up to fail. The chances of either being true is pretty small IMO.

[jjgallow]

To me Andersson reminds me of Dennis Wideman in every single way. I'm probably the biggest Wideman hater on the forums, so that probably tells you what I think of Andersson.

Kylington will be a Sami Vantanen type of player.

 

I'm right there with the whole way....about Wideman, and, the similarities.

 

Having said that, I don't "hate" Andersson.....for the Simple reason that he's still a kid.

 

A LOT can change between now and the NHL.    Defensemen develop soooo slowly.

 

Heck....it's Not even too late for Wideman to change.   And if he wants to stay in the league for a few more seasons, he may have to.   Because his offensive production will likely continue to drop off with age.

 

 

But yeah, this is why we got him in the 2nd round.  Quite frankly, the best offensive defenseman in the draft. 

 

If he rounds out well enough, the sky is the limit.  And by the sky, I mean, Norris.

 

If he Doesn't round out, then Wideman is his maximum potential and an AHL career is the more likely outcome.

[zima]

I don't know why the hate for a child who just finished his time in the minors I wouldn't be surprised if he gets sent back to the Minors as a over aged player we have so many D right now in the A's and the NHL. I'm hoping he is good enough to perhaps push a D into the ECHL but I'm thinking back to the A's. I do see him and Kyl being 4 and 5 on the team in the near further so it will ne Gio-Brod's Hamilton-Jokipakka or Nakaladal if he is signed the 2 kids kyl and Anderssen and bottom pairing eng and Kulak. Perhaps a bit of a push but you never know I think Wides will be traded at Draft or by Feb you just never know with the Tre.

[JTech780]

Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) tweeted at 0:53 PM on Thu, Jul 07, 2016:

#Flames GM Brad Treliving indicates he'll be having a chat with D Rasmus Andersson about conditioning. Praises on-ice performance, but ...

Hopefully turning pro this year is an eye opener for this kid, because this is all I have ever heard about Andersson since he was drafted, at some point it has to sink in.

[travel_dude]

Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) tweeted at 0:53 PM on Thu, Jul 07, 2016:

#Flames GM Brad Treliving indicates he'll be having a chat with D Rasmus Andersson about conditioning. Praises on-ice performance, but ...

Hopefully turning pro this year is an eye opener for this kid, because this is all I have ever heard about Andersson since he was drafted, at some point it has to sink in.

 

It's a fine line for a bigger player to be just big or overweight/out of shape.  I think this is the biggest thing for him to get under control. The big heart and shot will stay there if he gets in shape.  Better positioning will come if he is in better shape.  

[cccsberg]

Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) tweeted at 0:53 PM on Thu, Jul 07, 2016:

#Flames GM Brad Treliving indicates he'll be having a chat with D Rasmus Andersson about conditioning. Praises on-ice performance, but ...

Hopefully turning pro this year is an eye opener for this kid, because this is all I have ever heard about Andersson since he was drafted, at some point it has to sink in.

I think Andersson looked better than last year but I would agree he can go even further in conditioning.  His speed in general was a bit slower, however in skating drills when he really pushed it he was right up there with Hickey (i.e. very fast).  Andersson had a good game, doing the little things really well, and controlling the ice from his position on the blue line.  I believe his hockey smarts and on-ice vision are really, really good which makes him really effective on the ice.

[Cowtownguy]

I think Andersson looked better than last year but I would agree he can go even further in conditioning.  His speed in general was a bit slower, however in skating drills when he really pushed it he was right up there with Hickey (i.e. very fast).  Andersson had a good game, doing the little things really well, and controlling the ice from his position on the blue line.  I believe his hockey smarts and on-ice vision are really, really good which makes him really effective on the ice.

I also thought that Andersson played well. I would not say that I noticed his speed, but I did notice his intelligent play. Among these guys in scrimmage anyways, I always felt confident that he would retrieve the puck in the defensive zone, and very confident that he would make a great pass out of his zone. Perhaps this is an unusual comment, but he seems to make the game "look easy". While others often seem to play with too much urgency and even struggle, he simplifies things and comes up with the right play.

 

We talk a lot about hockey IQ here. He clearly has it. As a fan in the stands, or watching from TV, it is obvious what a player should do in any situation in an instant. At ice level, it is an entirely different story. Andersson seems to have that ability to know what to do and to do it calmly. That would be a trait I would love to see when the Flames are scrambling in their own zone. I have no doubt that he will be with the Flames before too long. Never quite realized that he is a right-handed shot until today.

 

Perhaps Treliving just needs to get him off of the Phil Kessel training program.

[cross16]

I thought Andersson was ok. His skating is still just Ok but I would have liked to see more progression from last year to this year. He's still really good in the offensive zone, but only so/so until he gets there. His is also pretty inconsistent shift to shift which I think speaks to the conditioning.

 

Still an intriguing skill set but he needs to take it up a notch.

[JTech780]

http://www.flamesfrom80feet.ca/2016/07/dev-camp-2016-eetu-tuulola-finnish.html?m=1

It kind of sounds like Treliving is giving Andersson a bit of an ultimatum, get in shop or else you won't be turning pro this year.

Man I really hope the kid gets it, but the fact that it is starting to sound like a broken record really has me worried about Andersson.

[travel_dude]

http://www.flamesfrom80feet.ca/2016/07/dev-camp-2016-eetu-tuulola-finnish.html?m=1

It kind of sounds like Treliving is giving Andersson a bit of an ultimatum, get in shop or else you won't be turning pro this year.

Man I really hope the kid gets it, but the fact that it is starting to sound like a broken record really has me worried about Andersson.

 

I think he was a bit disappointed with his fitness level coming into dev camp.  He had said before that he would be very surprised if Andersson didn't turn pro.  But you have to be realistic and set expectations for a young player.  Don't show up for Young Stars or main camp out of shape.  I hope that they have given him a plan to work on, not just tell him to get in shape.

[phoenix66]

I think he was a bit disappointed with his fitness level coming into dev camp.  He had said before that he would be very surprised if Andersson didn't turn pro.  But you have to be realistic and set expectations for a young player.  Don't show up for Young Stars or main camp out of shape.  I hope that they have given him a plan to work on, not just tell him to get in shape.

I forget, was he in training camp last year? Cuz if not that will be a huge eye opener for him if he doesnt see the benefit of being in top shape. Just ask guys like Al Macinnis and Gary Roberts

[travel_dude]

I forget, was he in training camp last year? Cuz if not that will be a huge eye opener for him if he doesnt see the benefit of being in top shape. Just ask guys like Al Macinnis and Gary Roberts

 

Yes.  He stayed the longest of the junior players and suited up for pre-season.  Got a sucker punch from Nurse, IIRC.  He looked NHL ready, almost, last year.  The conditioning was a bit of a problem last year too.

[JTech780]

Kristen Odland (@Kristen_Odland) tweeted at 11:19 AM on Thu, Sep 15, 2016:

Following his physicals/fitness testing, #Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson reports his weight at 220. Media guide has him listed 215.

[cross16]

Kristen Odland (@Kristen_Odland) tweeted at 11:19 AM on Thu, Sep 15, 2016:

Following his physicals/fitness testing, #Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson reports his weight at 220. Media guide has him listed 215.

 

 

so he is the same weight he was last season...

 

He's not trending in a positive way. Guess we'll see if training camp is different. 

[travel_dude]

so he is the same weight he was last season...

 

He's not trending in a positive way. Guess we'll see if training camp is different. 

 

Supposedly, he was working more on conditioning than strength.  It's a work in progress.  I hope he makes it to Stockton this season so the training staff can help him manage it better.  

[cccsberg]

Kristen Odland (@Kristen_Odland) tweeted at 11:19 AM on Thu, Sep 15, 2016:

Following his physicals/fitness testing, #Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson reports his weight at 220. Media guide has him listed 215.

Could be added muscle.

[MAC331]

I'm right there with the whole way....about Wideman, and, the similarities.

 

Having said that, I don't "hate" Andersson.....for the Simple reason that he's still a kid.

 

A LOT can change between now and the NHL.    Defensemen develop soooo slowly.

 

Heck....it's Not even too late for Wideman to change.   And if he wants to stay in the league for a few more seasons, he may have to.   Because his offensive production will likely continue to drop off with age.

 

 

But yeah, this is why we got him in the 2nd round.  Quite frankly, the best offensive defenseman in the draft. 

 

If he rounds out well enough, the sky is the limit.  And by the sky, I mean, Norris.

 

If he Doesn't round out, then Wideman is his maximum potential and an AHL career is the more likely outcome.

Does this even make sense when you read it back to yourself ? Andersson's play reminds you of Wideman who has enjoyed a good NHL career being paid top dollar and Andersson could end up a career AHLer ?????? Tough crowd

[StarkRaving]

I understand jjgallow's position, and I agree with him completely.  I think Andersson is the biggest wild card in the prospect pool.  In my opinion, he has NHL talent but AHL commitment.

[cross16]

Does this even make sense when you read it back to yourself ? Andersson's play reminds you of Wideman who has enjoyed a good NHL career being paid top dollar and Andersson could end up a career AHLer ?????? Tough crowd

 

Being reminded of a player form a style perspective doesn't necessarily mean that is what they are going to become, its just who reminds you of them when you watch them. JJ is right. 

 

I agree with the consensus that Anderson plays alot like Wideman but that doesnt' mean anthing in terms of whehter or not he makes the NHL. This is exacty why player comparisons are dangerous and for the most part should be avoided. Compare on style not player X= player Y. 

[MAC331]

Being reminded of a player form a style perspective doesn't necessarily mean that is what they are going to become, its just who reminds you of them when you watch them. JJ is right. 

 

I agree with the consensus that Anderson plays alot like Wideman but that doesnt' mean anthing in terms of whehter or not he makes the NHL. This is exacty why player comparisons are dangerous and for the most part should be avoided. Compare on style not player X= player Y. 

Agree plus Andersson has some development time yet before he jumps to the NHL, likely 2 years.

[Kulstad]

Does this even make sense when you read it back to yourself ? Andersson's play reminds you of Wideman who has enjoyed a good NHL career being paid top dollar and Andersson could end up a career AHLer ?????? Tough crowd

 

 

Being reminded of a player form a style perspective doesn't necessarily mean that is what they are going to become, its just who reminds you of them when you watch them. JJ is right. 

 

I agree with the consensus that Anderson plays alot like Wideman but that doesnt' mean anthing in terms of whehter or not he makes the NHL. This is exacty why player comparisons are dangerous and for the most part should be avoided. Compare on style not player X= player Y. 

 

 

Agree plus Andersson has some development time yet before he jumps to the NHL, likely 2 years.

 

Does your initial position even make sense when you read it back to yourself ?  Is it still a "tough crowd"?