LIAS ANDERSSON
European Skater - HV 71, SWEDEN
FINAL RANK: 3 // MIDTERM RANK: 3
POSITION: Center // SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 5' 11" // WEIGHT: 201
BORN: October 13, 1998 // BORN IN: Smogen, SWE
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (1st Round / 7th Overall)
PROFILE
• ANDERSSON COMPILED 9-10—19 IN 42 GAMES DURING THE 2016-17 REGULAR SEASON AND 4-1—5 IN 16 PLAYOFF CONTESTS TO HELP HV71 CAPTURE THEIR FIFTH LE MAT TROPHY, AWARDED TO THE SWEDISH HOCKEY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS.
• ANDERSSON LED SWEDEN’S JUNIOR LEAGUE IN ASSISTS AND POINTS WITH 24-35—59 IN 37 GAMES DURING THE 2015-16 SEASON. HE ALSO MADE HIS SHL DEBUT DURING THE 2015-16 CAMPAIGN, APPEARING IN 22 REGULAR SEASON GAMES AND FOUR PLAYOFF CONTESTS.
• INTERNATIONALLY, ANDERSSON REPRESENTED SWEDEN AT THE 2017 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (3-0—3 IN 7 GP) AND THE 2016 UNDER-18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (5-4—9 IN 7 GP), WHERE HE WON A SILVER MEDAL.
• HIS FATHER, NIKLAS, WAS SELECTED 68TH OVERALL BY THE QUEBEC NORDIQUES IN 1989 AND SKATED IN 164 CAREER NHL GAMES ACROSS FIVE SEASONS WITH THE NORDIQUES, NEW YORK ISLANDERS, SAN JOSE SHARKS, NASHVILLE PREDATORS AND CALGARY FLAMES.
• LISTS FORMER NHL FORWARD PETER FORSBERG (NORDIQUES, AVALANCHE, FLYERS, PREDATORS) AS HIS CHILDHOOD HOCKEY IDOL.
SCOUTING REPORT
NHL DIRECTOR OF EUROPEAN SCOUTING GORAN STUBB
HE IS A REALLY SKILLED, TWO-WAY FORWARD WITH GREAT MOVES WITH THE PUCK. HE SHOWS VERY GOOD ATTITUDE, WORKS HARD BOTH WAYS, HAS SMOOTH HANDS AND IS VERY EFFECTIVE IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE AS HE CAN BOTH SHOOT AND CREATE SCORING CHANCES FOR LINEMATES.
STATISTICS
FILIP CHYTIL
European Skater - ZLIN, CZREP
FINAL RANK: 11 // MIDTERM RANK: 15
POSITION: Center // SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6' 2" // WEIGHT: 192
BORN: September 5, 1999 // HOMETOWN: Hulin, Czech Republic
BORN IN: Kromeriz, CZE
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (1st Round / 21st Overall)
PROFILE
• CHYTIL SPLIT THE 2016-17 SEASON BETWEEN HC ZLIN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC’S TOP LEAGUE (4-4—8 IN 38 GP) AND THE JUNIOR TEAM (2 GP).
• IN 2015-16, CHYTIL POSTED 28-22—50 (30 GP) FOR HC ZLIN’S UNDER-18 TEAM.
• INTERNATIONALLY, CHYTIL REPRESENTED THE CZECH REPUBLIC AT THE 2017 UNDER-18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (2-3—5 IN 5 GP) AND THE 2015 WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE (0-1—1 IN 5 GP). CHYTIL ALSO REGISTERED 2-1—3 AT THE 2016 IVAN HLINKA MEMORIAL (4 GP), HELPING THE CZECH REPUBLIC WIN THEIR FIRST GOLD MEDAL AT THE TOURNAMENT.
• CHYTIL TRAINS WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER, LIBOR, WHO PLAYS KEEPER FOR THE PROFESSIONAL CZECH SOCCER CLUB SK SPARTAK HULIN.
• MODELS HIS STYLE OF PLAY AFTER MAPLE LEAFS FORWARD AUSTON MATTHEWS.
STATISTICS
BRANDON CRAWLEY
North American Skater - LONDON, OHL
FINAL RANK: 199 // MIDTERM RANK: N/A
POSITION: Defenseman // SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6' 2" // WEIGHT: 203
BORN: February 2, 1997 // HOMETOWN: Glen Rock, N.J.
BORN IN: Ridgewood, NJ, USA
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (4th Round / 123rd Overall)
STATISTICS
CALLE SJALIN
European Skater - OSTERSUND, SWEDEN-3
FINAL RANK: 44 // MIDTERM RANK: 66
POSITION: Defenseman // SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6' 1" // WEIGHT: 179
BORN: September 2, 1999
BORN IN: Ostersund, SWE
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (5th Round / 145th Overall)
PROFILE
• HIS BROTHER, PONTUS, WAS SELECTED 160TH OVERALL BY THE MINNESOTA WILD IN THE 2014 NHL DRAFT AND SKATED FOR LULEA OF THE SWEDISH HOCKEY LEAGUE IN 2016-17.
STATISTICS
DOMINIK LAKATOS
European Skater - LIBEREC, CZREP
FINAL RANK: 50 // MIDTERM RANK: N/A
POSITION: Center // SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6' 0" // WEIGHT: 178
BORN: April 8, 1997
BORN IN: Liberec, CZE
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (6th Round / 157th Overall)
STATISTICS
MORGAN BARRON
North American Skater - ST. ANDREWS COLLEGE, HIGH-ON
FINAL RANK: 98 // MIDTERM RANK: 88
POSITION: Center // SHOOTS: Left
HEIGHT: 6' 2" // WEIGHT: 200
BORN: December 2, 1998 // HOMETOWN: Halifax, N.S.
BORN IN: Halifax, NS, CAN
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (6th Round / 174th Overall)
STATISTICS
PATRIK VIRTA
European Skater - TPS, FINLAND
FINAL RANK: N/A // MIDTERM RANK: N/A
POSITION: Center // SHOOTS: Right
HEIGHT: 5' 10" // WEIGHT: 180
BORN: March 6, 1996
BORN IN: Hameenlinna, FIN
DRAFTED: 2017: NYR (7th Round / 207th Overall)
STATISTICS
Round One
New Jersey Devils: Nico Hischier (C) – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Philadelphia Flyers: Nolan Patrick (C) – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Dallas Stars: Miro Heiskanen (D) – HIFK (Finland)
Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar (D) – Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
Vancouver Canucks: Elias Pettersson (C) – Timra (Sweden)
Vegas Golden Knights: Cody Glass (C) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
New York Rangers (from AZ): Lias Andersson (C) – HV71 (Sweden)
Buffalo Sabres: Casey Mittelstadt (C) – Eden Prairie High School
Detroit Red Wings: Michael Rasmussen (C) – Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Florida Panthers: Owen Tippett (RW) – Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
Los Angeles Kings: Gabe Vilardi (C) – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Carolina Hurricanes: Martin Necas (C) – Brno (Czech)
Vegas Golden Knights (from WPG): Nick Suzuki (C/RW) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Cal Foote (D) – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (from NYI): Erik Brannstrom (D) – HV71 (Sweden)
Calgary Flames: Juuso Valimaki (D) – Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs: Timothy Liljegren (D) – Rogle (Sweden)
Boston Bruins: Urho Vaakanainen (D) – JYP (Finland)
San Jose Sharks: Josh Norris (C) – USA U-18 National Development Program
St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas (C/RW) – London Knights (OHL)
New York Rangers: Filip Chytil (C/LW) – Zlin (Czech)
Edmonton Oilers: Kailer Yamamoto (RW) – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Arizona Coyotes (from MIN): Pierre-Olivier Joseph (D) – Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Winnipeg Jets (from CLB via VGK): Kristian Vesalainen (LW) – Frolunda (Sweden)
Montreal Canadiens: Ryan Poehling (C) – St. Cloud State (NCAA)
Dallas Stars (from CHI): Jake Oettinger (G) – Boston University (NCAA)
Philadelphia Flyers (from STL): Morgan Frost (C) – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Ottawa Senators: Shane Bowers (C) – Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (from DAL via ANA): Henri Jokiharju (D) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Nashville Predators: Eeli Tolvanen (LW/RW) – Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
St. Louis (from PIT): Klim Kostin (LW/RW) – Dynamo Moscow (KHL)
During the first day of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday, June 23 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois, the New York Rangers selected forward Filip Chytil with the 21st overall pick.
Chytil, 17 (turns 18 years old on September 5), skated in 38 games with PSG Zlin in the Czech Extraliga this past season, registering four goals and four assists for eight points, along with 16 penalty minutes. Chytil was one of 21 players younger than 18 years old who played in the Czech Extraliga in 2016-17, and he ranked second among players younger than 18 years old in the league in games played, goals, and points during the season. He skated in two relegation games with PSG Zlin, recording two points (one goal, one assist). In addition, Chytil played two regular season games and one playoff game with PSG Zlin's junior team in 2016-17.
The 6-2, 192-pounder has played in Zlin's organization since the 2012-13 season. Chytil skated in 30 games with PSG Zlin's U18 team during the 2015-16 season, registering 28 goals and 22 assists for 50 points, along with a plus-23 rating and eight penalty minutes, and he tied for 10th in the league in goals during the season.
Internationally, the Kromeriz, Czech Republic, native has represented his country at several tournaments. Most recently, Chytil registered five points (two goals, three assists) and two penalty minutes in five games at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championship. In addition, Chytil helped the Czech Republic earn a gold medal at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, tallying four points (three goals, one assist) in five contests. He also represented the Czech Republic at the 2017 Five Nations Tournament, registering three points (one goal, two assists) in four games, and at the 2015 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
During the first day of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday, June 23 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois, the New York Rangers acquired the seventh overall pick from the Arizona Coyotes and used the pick to select forward Lias Andersson.
Andersson, 18, skated in 42 games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this past season, registering nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points, along with a plus-21 rating and 18 penalty minutes. He established SHL career-highs in several categories in 2016-17, including games played, goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating. Andersson ranked eighth in the SHL - and led all junior players (younger than 20 years old) in the league - in plus/minus rating this past season. He also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in goals and assists, and tied for second among all junior players in the SHL in points in 2016-17.
Andersson registered five points (four goals, one assist) and 18 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games while helping HV71 win the Le Mat Trophy as Swedish Hockey League Champions this past season. He tied for fifth on HV71 in goals in the playoffs, and he also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in playoff goals this past season. Andersson played seven games in the Champions Hockey League with HV71 in 2016-17, recording one assist and two penalty minutes. He has skated in 64 career SHL games over parts of two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17), registering 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists), along with a plus-14 rating and 24 penalty minutes.
The 6-0, 200-pounder skated in 37 games with HV71's junior team in SuperElit during the 2015-16 season, recording 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points, along with a plus-17 rating and 91 penalty minutes. Andersson led all players in SuperElit in overall assists and points during the season. He made his SHL debut during the 2015-16 season, skating in 22 regular season games and four playoff contests with HV71.
Internationally, the Smogen, Sweden, native has represented his country at several tournaments. Most recently, Andersson registered three goals and posted a plus-two rating in seven games while representing Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. He helped Sweden earn a silver medal at the 2016 IIHF World U18 Championship, as he recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven contests and was selected as one of the Top Three Players on his team in the tournament. In addition, Andersson helped Sweden earn a silver medal at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Andersson's father, Niklas Andersson, played parts of six seasons in the NHL (1992-93; 1995-96 - 1997-98; 1999-00 - 2000-01) with Quebec, the NY Islanders, San Jose, Nashville, and Calgary, registering 82 points (29 goals, 53 assists) in 164 career games. In addition, Lias' uncle, Mikael Andersson, played in the NHL for parts of 15 seasons (1985-86 - 1999-00) and is currently a European Scout with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
