Marcus Johansson – 2009 NHL Entry Draft Rankings

Christopher Ralph is a hockey writer with a focus on prospects and the entry draft, as well as the Leafs’ correspondent here at THW.

“Full Potential” Prospect Profile:

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48. Marcus Johansson

Date of birth: October 06, 1990
Place of birth: Landskrona, Sweden
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 189
Shoots: L

One-Timer: Johansson is a smooth skater and possesses very good hockey sense as well. While nothing really stands out about Marcus’ game when you watch him, it is because he is very good at a lot of things with few or no weaknesses. As long as concussions (see below) do not interfere with his hockey future, Johansson should develop into a very reliable two-way center. He stated in an interview at NHL.com: “I like to play with the puck. I like to bring the puck from my own end to the offensive end. I think I’m a little more a passer than a shooter. I want to set up my teammates so they can score goals. Of course I want to score goals myself, but I think I am more of a passer than a shooter.” Although not a typical physical player, Marcus is not afraid of the rough stuff. He also possesses good leadership skills and is a great team player.

NHL Player(s) Comparison: Henrik Zetterberg-Lite

Scouting Combine Performance: Gare Joyce noted Johansson was the only player with three recorded concussions.

International Tournaments: Marcus netted 2 goals in 6 games at the WJC-U20s. He also represented Sweden at the 2007 Under-18 World Championships (bronze) and the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament (gold).

ETA = 3 years

Risk-Reward Analysis: Risk = 4/5    Reward = 4/5

NHL Potential: 2-way 2^nd-line center

Fantasy Hockey Potential: Offensive = 8/10   Defensive = 8/10

Other Rankings:

• ISS: 99
• CSB: 8-E
• TSN: 33
• THN: 30

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