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NHL Prospect Profile: Rasmus Sandin

AJ Haefele

June 15, 2018

Statistics

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Scout Quotes

Sandin is very strong on his skates and can ward off bigger forwards that try to shove him off the puck. Once he’s past them, he attacks openings with confidence but can also create time and space with sharp pivots or stutter-steps. Sandin’s vision and creativity are underrated aspects of his offensive game, and his has a hard enough shot that makes it difficult for goalies to control their rebounds. You can make a strong case that he is one of the draft’s best one-on-one defenders, and his quick feet help stay stride for stride with onrushing attackers. Sandin also is reliable in slot coverage and rarely is guilty of puck-gazing his partner into a precarious situation. He has soft hands, keen vision and a developing creative gene that when combined puts him in an elite class of teenage two-way defenders, and he could very well become one of the best players to come out of this draft. – The Draft Analyst

Sandin may not become a franchise defenseman at the NHL level, but with proper time and patience, he can be an effective top-four player, who contributes in all situations. Since his deal is a loan, it is unclear if he will be back in the OHL next season, or back with Rogle BK. In any event, he needs two or three years of development before he’s ready for the NHL. – Last Word on Hockey

AJ’s Thoughts

Sandin had quite an interesting draft year, beginning in Sweden before getting loaned to the OHL buzzsaw that was the Soo Greyhounds. He was pressed into more action as Conor Timmins got hurt and it opened up some ice time for him. He’s an two-way player who isn’t very flashy but the more you watch him the more you appreciate him. He has an attacking mentality with the puck and he has the ability to create and exploit space both created and given.

He’s not an exceptional skater and it’s an aspect of his game he still has plenty of work to do in the future. He’s reliable defensively despite not being overly physical and his exceptional hockey IQ consistently keeps him in the right position. His upside may not be that of a star but he could become a rock solid defender in pro hockey with the ability to chip in points.

Highlights

Avalanche Fit

Like with Ty Smith, Sandin is on the left side so at least there’s a positional fit over the long haul with him as opposed to the loaded right side. He’s such a smart player that he fits Colorado’s profile of preferring hockey sense of raw skill. The Avalanche also saw a ton of Sandin in keeping tabs on their own guy in Timmins and should be very comfortable with Sandin. The future is very bright both for Sandin and on Colorado’s blue line and the combination of the two could be exceptional. He wouldn’t be asked to be a franchise-changing player for the Avalanche and he likely isn’t that guy anyway. He could be a jack-of-all trades type for the Avalanche who solidifies their back end with high-level play for the first time since the Avs were competing for Stanley Cups.