In sports where the draft is an annual event, players who are brought into the limelight are first round selections. The NBA‘s draft consists of two rounds, so players taken in the second round aren’t guaranteed to make it. As for the NFL, the difference in talent level is arguably smaller than any of the “big four” sports, therefore making every team’s pick almost just as valuable as the rest. The MLB‘s draft has up to 40 rounds due to the various levels in the minor leagues.

The NHL is awfully similar to the NFL’s seven-round format. One big difference is that players selected in the lower rounds often don’t play for the organization that drafted them. Every once and a while NHL teams will become lucky when they select a player late in the draft. Only a handful of these young men will come up and make a career in the big leagues. There are low expectations for these players, but if they exceed what’s expected of them, it’s another case of a Cinderella story. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson has the potential to be Cinderella.

Maple Leafs Andreas Johnsson, A Potential Cinderella Story

Formerly known as Andreas Johnson, Johnsson has been gaining attention ever since finishing fifth in goals scored in the SHL as a 20-year old in the 2014-15 season. One year later, Johnsson tied the league for fifth in points scored. This kind of production is similar to what Henrik Zetterberg posted in the SHL following his draft year. Throughout the two seasons Zetterberg played in the SHL before reaching the NHL, he scored 78 points in 95 games. That’s a respectable 0.82 points-per-game for a player playing two and three years, respectively, past his draft year. As for Johnsson, when we compare his SHL numbers to Zetterberg at the same age and post-draft years, the 21-year old has scored 79 points in 107 games, sitting at about 0.74 points-per-game.

To add some context, Zetterberg’s team, Timra IK, finished ninth out of 12 teams in his first year and last in his second year. Frolunda, Johnsson’s Swedish squad, finished in second place in both seasons that were taken into consideration.

Comparing these two Swedes isn’t to say that Johnsson will develop into the same tier as Zetterberg did. However, it is interesting to look at their point totals post-draft year. It’s also very coincidental when you take into account how both players were drafted in the seventh round of their NHL Entry Drafts: Zetterberg was pick 210, Johnsson was selection 202.

A Hopeful Future

Looking away from the numbers, when watching Johnsson on the ice, it’s obvious he oozes the skill and speed that can translate into the professional game. His skating speed and wrist shot release are both impressive aspects of his offensive game.

In terms of pure offensive skill alone, Maple Leafs fans can be hopeful to see Johnsson reach the NHL some day. Last season, the speedy winger barely played two playoff games for the Toronto Marlies, until a hit to the head ended his brief AHL stint. With pre-season currently underway, Johnsson has yet to play his first game in the Leafs new jersey, but don’t expect him to make the leap into the NHL this season. After making his mark in the SHL over the past three years, it’s likely Toronto’s brass will have him start on the Marlies roster for the 2016-17 season.

Most agree that late round picks often have little-to-no chances at making any noise in the big leagues, regardless the sport. Every so often, but rarely, players will beat expectations and make a name for themselves. This makes their path to professional stardom that much more of a feel-good story. It’s too soon to tell exactly where Johnsson will peak, but he has the potential to turn into an effective forward at the professional level.

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