Claimed: [Rookie Profile] D - Mats Johnsson

[Quik 4,113]

Name: Mats Johnsson

Position: D

Shoots: L

Age: 26

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 195 lbs

Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden

 

Mats Johnsson is a defenceman declaring for the S57 VHL Entry Draft. He has spent his entire junior and pro career in the Frolunda HC system, starting out with their Under-16 program, before making stops with their U-18, and U-20 teams and eventually making his pro debut at the age of 18. The smooth skating defenceman has lead the Indians' attack from the back end for years, and is planning to showcase his talents in one of the top two professional hockey leagues in the world, the Victory Hockey League!

 

Junior Career

At the age of 15, Johnsson joined the Frolunda HC system through their Under-16 team, half way through the season. During the half season he played with the U16 Indians, he played 24 games and fit right in, scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace with 4 goals and 18 assists. The team made it to the second round of the playoffs that year, losing to the Leksands IF U16 in game 4 of a best of 5 series. Mats put scored a goal and added 4 helpers through his first 6 playoff games in the Frolunda system.

 

At 16, the Swedish defender was moved up to the U18 team, but once again, he only played half a season with the team. Posting well over a point-per-game (9-17-26 in 19 games) in the 2nd division U18 league, the U20 team suffered injuries to 3 of its top 4 defencemen and called upon Johnsson to fill in on the back end. He impressed enough in the 12 games before the team was healed up that, even with a filling roster, the coaching staff decided to keep him on the team. He'd go on to play 27 games with the U20s, netting 2 goals and 13 assists for a respectable 15 points playing against kids up to 3 years his senior.

 

During his 17 year old season, Mats suffered a concussion that wiped out half his season, getting back into the U20 line-up just in time for playoffs. That year's U20 Frolunda team was a strong one, and they were able to knock off the defending champs, Malmo, in an easy sweep. In 11 games that playoff, Johnsson lead the team in scoring, with 4 goals and 9 assists.

 

Professional Career

After his strong performance in the U20 playoffs, Indians' management decided that Johnsson was finished with junior, and ready to help their professional team. Penciled in to play sheltered minutes, the Indians deployed Johnsson in a strictly offensive role, sticking to offensive zone starts and secondary power-play time. This mitigated one of his biggest strengths, his skating, and Johnsson's play suffered because of it. The defender managed only a single goal, as well as 3 assists in 32 games before the team relegated him to press box duty for the remainder of the season. He didn't play a single playoff game that year, but used the benching as motivation to come back better the following season.

 

In his second season with the Frolunda Indians, Johnsson came back more dedicated to his game. After working with the coach in the off-season, he was given a slightly bigger role, allowed to make some more defensive zone starts. Mats rewarded his coach's faith by showing that he could be a strong puck-mover and carrier, conducting breakouts more regularly. The confidence showed in his stats, as he managed to put up a much more respectable line of 4 goals and 16 assists in 49 games played that year. Unfortunately, the Indians missed the playoffs, so there was no chance to showcase his ability to step up when it matters most.

 

Johnsson went on to spend six more years with the Indians, before joining the VHLM's Oslo Storm for their current playoff run. Over that time, he moved up to become the team's top defenseman, logging the most minutes of any player over that time. During the 6 seasons, Johnsson would miss only 8 games, playing a total of 304 games, logging 57 goals and 151 assists for 208 points during that time. The Indians won a pair of league championships during that time, the most recent coming two seasons ago, where they beat Linkopings HC in 6 games to claim the SHL Championship! This past season, they lost in the finals to that same Linkopings team before Johnsson decided to make the jump to the VHL.

 

S T R E N G T H S

Skating: A smaller defenceman, Johnsson relies on his wheels to keep him out of danger. Whether it is picking up the puck in his own zone and skating the puck out himself, cutting through the neutral zone and making smooth zone entries, or whirling around the offensive zone while looking to find the best option, Johnsson uses his skating to get the most out of his game. On the large ice, his speed and edge work made easy work of opponents; on the smaller ice used in the VHL, he will need to use his skating to keep him out of dangerous situations.

 

Puck Moving: One of the top offensive defencemen in the SHL, it is only natural that Johnsson would have high-end puck moving skills. As mentioned earlier, he can use his feet to get the puck any place on the ice, but he also has elite puck skills to go with it. Whether it's sending a long breakout pass to a streaking teammate, threading the needle to set up a scoring chance, or anything in between, you can bet that if the puck is on his stick, Johnsson won't lose possession of it.

 

Shot: Another weapon in the arsenal of any offensive defenceman worth his weight in salt, Johnsson has a surprisingly heavy shot that he can get off quickly and through traffic. He uses this shot to generate scoring chances, mostly keeping his shots low and at the goalie's pads to generate tips and rebounds. Whether he's setting up teammates, or just scoring goals, his shot is an asset that will come in extremely handy in the VHL.

 

W E A K N E S S E S

Defence: As odd as it is to say, the Swedish "defenceman" still struggles at times with his defensive game. He will never be confused for a defensive defender, but it goes further than that. Johnsson struggles with his footwork, and will at times lose his mark in the defensive zone. This is mitigated by his ability to outskate opponents, but when the opponents have pressure in Johnsson's defensive zone, he is too often caught out of position and scrambling to regain the puck.

 

Strength: As a defenceman on the smaller side, a natural weakness will be the player's physical strength. Johnsson has a difficult time in puck battles, often getting out-muscled in the corners and in front of the net. Frolunda mitigated his weakness by often times pairing him with a bigger, stronger D-partner who could clear the net-front in the defensive zone. Johnsson will definitely need to hit the weight room if he plans to have the same success as he had in the SHL, in the VHL!

 

Discipline: There is no doubt about it, Johnsson always has offence on the mind! This is great when his team has control of the puck, as he is a high-end offensive talent. However, he does have a penchant to make ill-timed pinches, and will sometimes be too aggressive with the puck, skating behind the other team's net; unless this results in a goal, Johnsson's aggresiveness too-often leads to odd-man rushes for the opponents. He will need a steady partner on the back-end who can cover for these mistakes, otherwise it could leave their goalie out to dry too often.

 

N H L  C O M P A R A B L E : Jake Gardiner

[Gudnason 607]

Frolunda, the original inspiration of Scott Anderson