Position: C, Shoots: L
H/W: 6-foot-4, 212 Pounds
Date of Birth: 2008-06-07
If you’re only going by counting stats, Andersson’s season may look underwhelming. Especially when you consider he played as a top 6 center for the bulk of the season with Leksands IF U20. 17 points in 30 U20 Nationell games doesn’t exactly sound like a swing for the fences, even if his international production was better. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Andersson played an important bottom 6 role for Sweden’s U18 gold medal run. He faced the toughest matchups and played hard minutes for Leksands U20 down the stretch, important power play opportunities and grueling PK assignments included. Not to mention, his work ethic is stellar both on and off the ice and he’s a prominent, positive voice in the locker room.
Andersson is a two-way pivot with a toolkit coveted by every coach and GM in the league. At 6’4”, he’s got the size you want down the middle and he plays with an intimidating physical edge. That in itself is not a rarity, but the combination of that and his explosive straight line speed is. Away from the puck, Andersson is a three-zone impact player. He reads the ice well and knows where to be and where to go to make defensive stops all over the ice. Ditto for offensive retrievals - he tips the scale in boardplay situations and is a punishing forechecker when he’s the 1st man in. He competes hard for prime real estate in front of the net. For lack of a better term, Andersson plays the right way. He knows that you need to get the puck to have the puck, and he is wired to get that puck.
If he had a more reliable on-puck game, Andersson would routinely be in 1st round conversations. Andersson has good vision and has flashed some exciting playmaking ideas. He’s skilled for a big man, but there is work to be done. His puck skills are still quite raw and the execution of his playmaking ideas isn’t always smooth. However, there is much cause for optimism as he showed a ton of improvement to his pass timing and puckhandling the 2nd half of the year and his confidence with the puck grew along with it. Scouts are torn on whether there is legit offensive upside here, but I will stick my neck out and say there is. He might not be a dynamic highlight reel machine, but a reliable playmaker down the lineup is possible.
Andersson is highly regarded by both the Swedish federation and the Leksands organization and it’s easy to see why. He moved there from his native Stockholm for the opportunity to improve his game just two years ago. Despite not getting into any SHL games this season, a couple of prominent senior team players X and Y took him under their wing and have been giving him advice. He may only be 18, but Andersson is already a man. He’s humble, yet sure of himself, and he shows a dedication to the game of hockey. He’s competitive, knows how to play a role, and can take on more responsibility when asked. A coach’s dream.
Factoring in the physical tools, the already-prominent two way game, the character, and the flashes of upside, Andersson looks like a near-certain NHLer and one of the higher-end bottom 6 options available. However, he needs to cut his teeth against pro competition for scouts to be sure. With Leksands being relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan, Andersson is poised to compete for a bottom 6 role with the senior team next season. Expect him to bounce between the U20 and the pro level for skill development purposes. Top 6 minutes in juniors and whatever minutes he earns in the HA, most likely. Andersson will be a long term project and may top out as a 3rd line C at most, but considering he’ll likely go in the mid to late 2nd or later, that’s a pretty high-value bet to make.
Skating
Andersson’s skating ability is very strong for his size and one of the more intriguing assets in his toolkit. He has powerful, explosive strides and his top speed in a straight line is among the fastest in the region. He leverages that speed to chase down and retrieve pucks in the offensive zone, to chase down and harass puck carriers up and down the ice, and to carry pucks himself from end to end. Andersson also uses his 3 step quickness to absolutely blow guys up along the wall, sometimes even in open ice. When his engine gets going, he’s like a freight train. Not to mention, he’s got an excellent motor.
Andersson’s fast, powerful, and explosive, but there are things to work on. As always, you can never have enough explosiveness or quickness. A little more agility and control from his edges would help his small area game a ton. His footwork and turns look solid, no hitches in his mechanics from what I’ve seen. Andersson should be an above average skater at the NHL level.
Here is a nice sequence of Andersson (#16 White) leveraging his skating in a bunch of situations. His feet just don’t stop moving.
Love the way Andersson (#16 White) turns on the jets and explodes towards the puck on the forecheck. If the D man hadn’t got rid of the puck so quickly, he would have been roadkill.
Andersson (#16 White) showing off some speed with the puck. Pacey playmaking like this is something I want to see more of from him.
Here is Andersson (#16 White) using his quickness to stay with a puck carrier through the neutral zone and take him to the boards.
He may be a big boy, but Andersson (#16 White) has really strong footwork and loose hips so he rarely gets caught flat footed.
Grade: 55
Shot
Andersson is a pass-first player, but he was still pretty snakebitten in terms of his goal scoring. The quality of his shot isn’t particularly high-end, but it isn’t bad either. In fact, he’s had some snipes this year. It’s more a matter of him rarely shooting the puck at all. When he does shoot, it’s from “home plate”, so he tries to make his attempts count. Andersson has a strong wrist shot which, if given space, he can locate fairly well. He’s got some gas on his one-timer, but could be stronger. Both his wrister and one-timer could be improved with more upper body strength, and Andersson has a big frame so there is headroom for growth.
Andersson’s shot has not been a big part of his offensive arsenal this season, but there is potential for a diverse range of goalscoring methods here. He’s not the guy playmakers are looking to find for a shot, so he typically plays the netfront and hunts tips or rebounds. Oddly enough, he hasn’t been all that successful in actually finding tips or rebounds. He also doesn’t drive the net as often as you’d like. The size and speed would indicate that net drives should be a big part of his game, but he doesn’t seem to have that available to him consistently. Will he ever be a 20 goal scorer in the NHL? No, probably not. I do think he could hover around 10 or more goals per season. Especially if he improves his ability to crash and bang at the net.
One of the better snipes I’ve seen from any player this year. Getting a good first touch and getting the puck off of his stick with control has been a sticking point for me with Andersson’s (#18 yellow) shot, so this is a triumphant goal in that sense as well.
Big blast one-timer from relatively close here. Andersson (#16 White) is rarely set up for these.
This isn’t actually Andersson’s (#16 white) goal, but this is the sort of net-front presence I want from Andersson more consistently. He bangs away at the puck and it leads to a goal for his team.
Andersson (#16 White) with a net drive, but it’s a bit of a chaotic one. Makes some nice dangles to get a clear look but the goalie reads his intention easily.
Andersson (#16 White) does nearly everything right in this sequence and gets himself a pretty good look, but the shot attempt is lacklustre. Doesn’t feel like he had full control of the puck, but it’s not the first time he’s had good looks and poor execution.
Grade: 50
Skill
Andersson’s skill with the puck is extremely underrated and you wouldn’t know how good it was if you only watched him in the first half of the season. While he’s always been effective at shielding the puck with his frame and funnelling pucks from the board to the middle, his rawness was on full display. He was running to too much pressure, flubbing handles, and mistiming his passes. Although, when everything came together, there were flashes of brilliance.
In the second half something clicked. Andersson was more confident with the puck on his stick. He was attacking defenders head on. He was able to effectively dance around sticks and reliably get past the first layer of defence. The execution on his passing and playmaking ideas became more consistent and it’s a shame his production didn’t show that. His small area skills still need a bit of development as his agility holds him back from being truly shifty in tight areas, especially along the boards. He’s gotta work on his skill at high speed as well. Andersson could outperform his projection if he continues to develop this side of his game. We should see a spike in production in his DY+1 at the U20 level. Hopefully we see the same on-puck confidence at the pro level as well.
A flash from earlier in the season. Andersson (#16 White) navigating neutral zone pressure with a series of nice moves culminating in a give ‘n go to get the puck in deep.
A disastrous clip from earlier in the season. Andersson (#18 Yellow) receives this puck with his head down and runs into trouble quickly. He can’t escape, turns the puck over, falls down, and USA takes it the other way for a scoring chance.
Vintage Andersson (#16 White) shielding the puck with his frame all around the offensive boards before off-loading the puck to a teammate.
Simple, yet effective boards-to-middle passing play from Andersson (#18 Blue) leading directly to a goal.
When he’s got the puck on his stick and he’s feeling it, Andersson (#16 White) is a force to be reckoned with. Does this not scream upside?
Grade: 52.5
Smarts
Adam Anderson works hard, but he also works smart. He’s got the defensive acumen to stick at C in the NHL and he’s the type of player who prides himself on being reliable in all situations. His awareness and ability to read the game is definitely above the U20 level and his two way game is a testament to that. Anderson is constantly putting himself in the best position to intercept passes or to intercept puck carriers and take them to the boards. He’s always looking to help out his defenceman down low, and once he has the puck, uses his great vision to quickly scan up ice to make passes and get moving the right direction. If a pass isn't there, Andersson can identify skating lanes and he has the speed to take it up ice himself.
Ironically, for such a strong off-puck player in defensive situations, he’s more of an on-puck player in offensive situations. Generally speaking, his ability to manage the puck in offensive situations is still good, but it became even better in the second half of the season. He can read defenders' intentions quicker and is learning how much pressure is too much pressure. His off-puck instincts in the offensive zone are a bit spotty. Not sure if that’s because of the role he plays on his line, but he struggles to hunt soft ice and get open. Might be a contributing factor to his low goal scoring totals.
Positionally smart and aware, Andersson (#16 White) intercepts this puck like it’s no problem at all. Now Leksands is the team taking it up ice.
Here he is covering for his defencemen down low, taking the puck away and bringing it all the way up ice.
Another example of Andersson being locked in on where the play is going, intercepting the puck, and taking it the other way for a scoring chance.
Gotta be in the right position to capitalize on mistakes.
Smart initial play with the spin fake-out, but the pass gets intercepted. However, when Andersson (#18 Yellow) makes a mistake, he works hard to make up for it.
Grade: 52.5
Physical/Compete
This is Andersson’s biggest selling point and a big part of what gives him such a high NHL floor. He’s huge, he throws hits, he battles hard in the dirty areas. He’s got a strong motor and involves himself in play all over the ice. Sounds like the ideal bottom 6 center to me.
Players need to take note when Andersson is on the ice and keep their heads up. He can be a hammer in open ice and a staple gun along the wall. He is a HARD forechecker. The type who can soften you up over the course of a playoff series. Defensemen need to speed up their decision making process when Andersson is around. Once he takes his man to the boards, he uses his strength and his frame to separate man from puck and get it to a teammate. He’s a one man wrecking crew in dirty areas. Ditto the net front. He’s a hard man to move and likely will be in the NHL as well.
Andersson’s smarts help him read opponents intentions and position himself well, but it’s competitive nature and drive that makes him attack opponents and force turnovers up and down the ice. He’s wired like a puck hound and he plays like one too. Fans and coaches alike will love his intensity. Anderson’s future teammates will love that he sticks up for them on the ice as well. He doesn’t back down from a scrum. I haven’t seen him actually chuck knucks as that isn’t as commonplace in the U20, but he’s the sort of tough customer who could.
Here is Andersson (#16 White) absorbing pressure along the wall and holding his own against two foes. He’s able to get the puck to a teammate and his team gets a pretty good scoring chance that’s unfortunately flubbed.
Look out! Poor Danish player got run over by the Andersson (#18 Yellow) Express.
Defencemen need to speed up their decision making process when Andersson (#18 Yellow) is around. Otherwise you get creamed.
Smart hit by Andersson (#18 Blue) here to remove his man from the play and help his team get the puck out of the defensive zone
Andersson’s (#16 White) intensity paying off here as his dogged pursuit of this puck ends with him setting up his team for a scoring chance.
Grade: 57.5
OFP: 53.375
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.