Anton Axelsson - Prospect Scouting Report

[solas 2,034]

ANTON AXELSSON - PRSOPECT SCOUTING REPORT

 

Position: Center
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190 lbs.
From: Umeå, Sweden
VHLM Draft: 2nd round, 18th overall (HFX)

 

Anton Axelsson has been one of the most interesting stories of the Season 100 draft class thus far. The forward, grandson of VHL Hall of Famer Theo Axelsson, has garnered a large amount of attention despite staying out of the public eye almost completely. Reports suggest that his career has been tightly managed by his family, who are very well-connected within the sport, and as such he has no social media presence and has made no statements outside of post-game interviews. This has led to a level of mystery regarding what the long-term plans are for Axelsson’s future: will his management step in to prevent him from being drafted to certain teams? Are there plans to enter free agency after his rookie contract? All of this is completely unfounded speculation but the silence from his camp and the familiarity of his last name has only added fuel to the fire. Previous ties between his agency and various VHL franchises have been examined, and there’s been a backlash from some regarding the amount of media coverage he’s received relative to the other prospects in his projected draft range.

 

On the ice, however, Anton Axelsson is clearly a talented prospect. He first garnered international attention playing with Västerås IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second tier. Ice time was limited, and he was inconsistent, as many young players are, but the flashes of superstar talent were there. Combine this with glowing reports from scouts within the Swedish hockey scene, and clearly this meant a move for the VHL would happen in no time. And it did - shortly after his 18th birthday, Axelsson entered the VHLM waiver system and was claimed by the Saskatoon Wild.

 

Those hoping for him to instantly take over would be disappointed. This is almost never the case with young waiver prospects. But there were promising signs. Axelsson’s offensive instincts are elite, and combined with his incredible raw talent this made him very exciting to watch at times. Additionally, he was able to adapt remarkably well to the physicality of the VHLM, much to the surprise of many scouts who had highlighted this as a potential weakness. This upside is part of what got him selected 18th overall by Halifax in a very competitive VHLM Dispersal Draft. 

 

However, there are still multiple potential drawbacks that scouts will be keeping an eye on this season. His offensive contributions were enticing, but inconsistent. He’s clearly a skilled skater, but doesn’t seem to have fully put together how he can use this to his advantage at the next level. Finally, there’s the big one: defense. The Swede surely has the instincts and physical tools to improve defensively, but he often looked completely lost in his own zone when playing for the Wild. This is surely an area of focus for the coming season, and will be a major concern for scouts, especially in a league like the VHL where defensive contributions from forwards are highly valued.

 

In most draft classes, Axelsson would be a lock to be selected in the early half of the first round. He’s not enough of a sure thing to be a first overall pick, but in weaker classes he could almost certainly be taken in the top five. Instead, however, the size and depth of the much-hyped S100 class has meant it’s hard to predict where a lot of prospects outside of the upper echelon will go. This includes Axelsson, who will surely be placed differently on many teams’ draft boards, but a stable place in the late first round feels like the most likely. He’s unlikely to crack the first line in Halifax - at least not right away - and as such probably won’t have the kind of breakout season that moves you up draft boards. Consistent improvement will be the key, particularly when it comes to his contributions in the defensive zone.

 

Strengths: Offensive vision, goal scoring, faceoffs, strength
Weaknesses: Skating, two-way game, consistency
VHL Draft Grade: Late 1st round

Edited yesterday at 07:16 PM by solas