One of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects has been involved in scrimmage play during the annual rookie development camp, and Victor Johansson was recently put on the right side of a defensive pairing, and reviews are mixed about this switch up. He didn't seem that comfortable playing on the right side, and experts are saying there may be some bumps in the road as he develops into the star that the Leafs hope he will become.
A journalist who writes for Pension Plan Puppets took to social media X to share his feedback on Victor Johansson's first rookie pre-season game of the year. @brigstew86 is his handle on X, and he gave a vote of confidence to Victor Johansson for the way he skates, however he was not so keen regarding his defensive awareness, which he believes is likely due to his shift to the right side of the defensive pairing duo.
Johansson is a fourth round pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft, and many scouting experts believe that the Leafs selected him way too soon, as he was expected to go a lot further down in the draft. It wouldn't have shocked many to see him selected all the way down in the seventh round, so experts were struck with shock when they heard that the Leafs were choosing him so soon.
Victor Johansson is only 18-years-old and did participate at the Maple Leafs' Summer Development Camp in July, however many experts do believe he is far from NHL ready and it's going to take a lot of work by Leafs management to get him on the right track. Victor Johansson has a very unique stature, as he is extremely tall at 6'2", but lacks weight, coming in at a measly 147 lbs.
Victor Johansson played in 34 games in Sweden's junior league for the Leksands IF Jr., and he finished with only two goals and eight points. He was on the ice for more goals for than against, which is a positive sign, as he finished with a nice plus/minus rating of +6.
Source: Maple Leafs Daily
New Maple Leafs prospect receives interesting reviews in most recent analysis
Source: HockeyDB
Victor Johansson Stats
POLL | ||
Will Maple Leafs prospect Victor Johansson ever make the NHL? | ||
Yes | 133 | 59.4 % |
No | 91 | 40.6 % |
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