Full Name: Thor Valhalla Odinsson
Position: Left Wing
Age: 21
Handedness: Left
Jersey Number: 1
Height (inches): 78
Weight (lbs.): 246
Birthplace: Mjolnir, NOR
Thor Odinsson enters the Victory Hockey League as an impressive young left winger with a huge amount of natural ability at his disposal. With his rare combination of size, skill and physical blessings has him looking like a potential star, if not an elite power winger in the VHL. The creative Odinsson has shown flashes of high end offensive potential as both a playmaker and a finisher which is a deadly combination. He was a VHLM waiver acquisition by the Bern Royals late in Season Forty Eight where he accumulated 41 points through 38 games consisting of 17 goals and 24 assists. He is on record as saying that he is willing to play long term for whatever franchise takes him in the draft and that he hopes to contribute to the teams success both on and off the ice in whatever way possible. This young man is an elite first line winger in development that will make a difference to any offensive unit he is a part of.
STRENGTHS
1 . Thor's greatest skill is his skating ability, as he is a true plus-plus skater that defensemen will need to respect as he's motoring down the flanks. He is very strong off the rush, similar to players like Edwin Reencarnacion and Lord Karnage, and does a great job of attacking lanes and driving his body through defenders to the net where an accurate shot and quality puck handling make him an impressive threat.
2 . Another of his strengths is his high level of ability with the puck, and the capability to make players miss. Despite his good size he is surprisingly elusive and can utilize his hands and moves to evade checkers and score some absolutely beautiful goals. He can make plays to his teammates, and he has good offensive instincts, with an above-average hockey sense. He loves to drive to the net and combining that with his speed and skill, he draws a lot of penalties. With his strong power play abilities, these are attributes that can only benefit whatever team adds him to their roster.
3 . Odinsson isn't afraid to get into the dirty areas to create scoring chances and his great balance on his skates allows him to utilize his full skating potential and his great vision to locate teammates with tremendous passing accuracy. He is more willing to give and receive hits than he used to and while it's still not a big part of his game, his comfort level is increasing due to the strong development and training regime of the Bern Royals. He isn't your typical Norwegian player as he is determined to play the two-way game and also uses his frame to to protect the puck. He often seems to be one step ahead of everybody else and very rarely hesitates to attack a situation when he identifies it.
WEAKNESSES
1 . As great as Thor is with the puck, there are very minor concerns about some areas of his play. Defensively he still lacks some positional awareness and at times he gets too occupied with chasing after players or trying to force something offensively. These are important areas at the VHL level and he has already started to address these issues with the Bern coaching staff, but it is likely he will continue to work on these flaws to bring himself closer to hockey perfection. With the high caliber of staff at the VHL level we do not see any future issues for Odinsson in these areas.
2 . Some scouts have questioned Thor's physicality and strength, despite his good size. He has already started working on these areas and plans to be up to “average” by the start of the off-season . He realizes that he needs great strength to become an effective 2 way player at the VHL level and given the family pedigree it's an area we doubt he will have continued issues with. He's a hard worker so anything he sets his mind to do will more than likely come to fruition.
3 . Odinsson's leadership skills need to rapidly improve if he is ever going to win a leadership role with his future franchise. By his nature, he is a relatively quiet guy and while that is a great personal quality, it will not benefit the team when he is on the ice. He needs to become more vocal in the locker room, but there are huge doubts on whether he will ever become a mentor to prospects joining his team or be considered for any future captaincy roles within the franchise.
SUMMARY
There is no question that Thor Odinsson has the tools to be a scorer in the VHL: the hands, play-making ability and vision on the ice. He is listed by VHL Scouting Services as the #8 Prospect but has crept up the draft rankings and is now considered a safe bet to go in the top 6. If Odinssons playmaking skill translates to the VHL it could be the key to a long, successful working relationship with his new team and possible career franchise. The other question about Thor is if he’ll be ready to play in the VHL next season. Most think he needs to grow into his body some more and get stronger to counteract the physicality of the elite VHL defensemen. He believes he is ready to make that step.
“You want to play as fast as you can,” he said. “I’ll do everything this summer to get ready and go to training camp in the best possible shape, in order to start contributing right away at the VHL level. I just hope the VHL is ready.”
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