Avalanche Draft Profile: Elias Pettersson

Get to Know Elias Pettersson

Date of Birth: 11/12/1998
Place of Birth: Sundsvall, SWE
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 165 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center/Left Wing
Team (League): Timra (Allsvenskan)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Elite Prospects:

A crafty and agile two-way forward, Pettersson is consistently productive in all three zones. As he gets stronger, he’ll become even more physical and aggressive than he is now, and his creativity could definitely elevate his game to dominant levels. He can be described as a tenacious, jack-of-all-trades kind of player; he is well versed in all the important aspects of his own game. His speed and top-end acceleration continue to improve game by game, and his hard-nosedness shows through in his dogged pursuit of puck control. Elias Pettersson is a complete hockey player with exceptional hockey sense who brings intellect and youthful exuberance to a game that feeds on his kind of exciting athleticism.

Future Considerations:

An energetic forward with highly creative hands, good work ethic and offensive skills…smart and aware on the ice…dangerous one-on-one player…combination of speed and the ability to make quick turns in different directions with the puck make him hard to pin down…can pull off multiple quick dekes in unison with quick changes of direction to break ankles of defenders…keeps his feet moving and brings quick pressure on his opponent offensively…finds open ice and creates space for himself to get off his strong wrist shot.

Highlights

NHL Potential

Pettersson needs to add some strength but upon doing that possesses the requisite skill level to a mainstay in the top six in the NHL.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Awkwardly. He is due to be selected in the second half of the top ten and plays at the only real position of strength in the Avalanche organization. Should Colorado somehow end up selecting him, he would immdiately move to wing and begin the transition to playing on the wall. His skill level is high enough he could be in the NHL within the next two years.