Lucas Pettersson scored over a point per game on a poor Modo U20 team. The team finished seventh in the North Division, fourth in the lower National Division, and exited the playoffs in the first round after losing two straight games to Linköping.
Scoring 57 points (27G, 30A) in 44 games is an achievement in itself under those circumstances, adding to that tally are the eight points (3G, 5A) he had in the WU18s, on a Swedish team that didn’t really stand out.
Birthplace: Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
Date of birth: April 7, 2006
Shoots: Left
Position: Centre
Height: 5′11″
Weight: 172 lbs.
Team: Modo (SHL / U20)
His five games in the SHL are a bit of a lie, though. He was part of Modo’s lineup for five games spread out at random intervals from the first game to end of February, and in one game he didn’t even get a second of ice time. He never played more than 6:29, and the average ended up being around three minutes of ice time per game.
The foundation for his hockey skills is his skating, something that has become a staple for the average Swedish hockey player. His skating helps him in the forecheck, where ha can be a menace to defenders and he drives up the tempo to create a solid pressure. He can keep that engine going all though the game, and his forecheck is relentless. He supports the attack well, and could very well develop into a middle-six player at the NHL level.
His hockey IQ is strong. He reads the game well to find teammates in the corner of his eye. Pettersson can then use his deceptive skills and strong passing to set them up for a high-danger chance. He uses no-look passes, drops, and sliding passes between the legs of the defender to always leave his opponent guessing. Combining this with his skating, where he can turn on a dime, and change direction mid-stride, means the opponent is caught off guard.
Pettersson also has a good wrist shot. It’s accurate and hidden, but not as strong as his puck-handling and playmaking. I keep thinking he has played floor ball in his early days as his stick-handling is good as well as his control in tight areas of the game. However, the wrist shots do lack some pace, and it could be down to the light ball in floorball and that his wrists haven’t developed the power to really facilitate that heavy wrist shot that you’d expect from a scorer.
His forecheck is built on speed, not on raw power and heavy plays. Part of this is down to his physique, but even against Juniors he should be able to use the momentum to hit, and not just fly-by on the forecheck; again, a floorball situation, as tackles are forbidden in the sport. Should he build up some more strength and balance, and not lose the skating, he could carve out a role in the NHL.
You also have to wonder about what was seen in the World U18s, when Pettersson struggled within a game he has trouble finding his strength in. It is the consistency that needs to be worked on, to always reach his level and sometimes exceed it. Is he used to being the big fish in the pond, not knowing how to handle it when he isn’t?
Rankings
Dobber Prospects: #45
Elite Prospects: #41
Hockey Prospect: #47
Hadi Kalakeche: #55
McKeen’s: #41
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #40
FC Hockey: #22
NHL Central Scouting: #16 (European skaters)
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #40
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #36
Pettersson has a lot of upside, but needs to work on his physique and his mental game. The upsides with skating, puck control, forechecking, and hockey IQ all show how strong the foundation is, and his floor is high. The question that lingers is where his ceiling is. If he corrects his flaws, he can project as high as a second-line winger, but if he makes the NHL he looks to be more of a bottom-six player who can energize his team with his work rate and speed.
