Filip Ahl: Colorado Avalanche 2015 NHL Draft Profile
Filip Ahl: Colorado Avalanche 2015 NHL Draft Profile
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The 2014-15 season was unfortunately cut short for the Colorado Avalanche. That means that here at Mile High Sticking, we have a long off-season ahead of us. While the off-season is filled with all different kinds of articles, regarding the playoffs (that we are unfortunately not a part of), Avalanche season reviews, and many other things, it also gives us time to focus on the Colorado Avalanche 2015 NHL Draft.
Today we are taking a look at Swedish forward Filip Ahl. Ahl has played in HV71’s U18, U20 and men’s teams this past season.
Name: Filip Ahl
Position: Left Wing / Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height, weight: 6’4″, 215 lbs
Team/League: HV71, SHL
Stats (from eliteprospects.com):
HV71 J20, SuperElit
GP |
|---|
G
A
P
PIM
+/-
34
20
22
42
53
5
HV71, SHL
GP |
|---|
G
A
P
PIM
+/-
15
0
2
2
2
-2
Risk, Reward: 1.5/5, 4/5
Pro comparison: Blake Wheeler
NHL-potential: Top-six forward
Draft Range: 2nd or 3rd round
Scouting report
Filip Ahl has been playing against players older than him for a long time now. Aged 15 he played his first U18 games, at 16 he joined the U20 team for the first time, his first SHL games were also played when he was 16. In that time, being younger than the rest was never a problem, as his size and skill always allowed him to compete against older players.
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There will be many players in the draft that have a higher ceiling than Ahl. However, not many have a floor as high as him. I am completely convinced that Ahl will become a full-time NHL player in the future. The question is whether he will pan out as a top-line power forward or fill a checking role on one of the bottom lines. But don’t expect him to be forgotten in the AHL, like it happened with many of the past Avalanche selections.
Filip Ahl is “a competitive winger who skates with good balance, using his large frame to establish his presence through physical play, and shields the puck exceptionally well”, according to EliteProspects scout Curtis Joe. Ahl had problems developing a strong skating stride, but he has worked on it and it should no longer be a concern.
His biggest asset is his puck protection. He combines size, strength, balance and skill to give his opponents a hard time knocking him off the puck. He is dominant on open ice, offensively and defensively. However, he needs to use his large frame more when battling for the puck in the corners.
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Puck Prose
Ahl possesses a bomb of a shot. When on offense, he likes to cycle around stickhandling or waiting for passes until he can get a shot off, rather than setting up his teammates with passes. Nevertheless, he does possess the ability to play strong, accurate passes as well. He has a quick release and a hard, accurate shot, which helped him score 20 goals in 34 games for the U20 team this season.
For HV71’s men’s team, Ahl did not score a single goal and only recorded two assists in 15 games. Part of the reason is that on a strong roster, he played a defensive role on a bottom-line. He did that very well, while showing flashes of offensive ability there as well.
Fit with the Avalanche
As I said, Filip Ahl can fill in a variety of roles. Whether on the left or the right wing, he can play as a big power forward or a bottom-line checking forward. If everything works out well, Ahl could come over to North America within the next two years and show what he can do. He can be expected to stay in Sweden for at least another season, though.
In the future, Ahl can be exactly what coach Roy is looking for — a big forward that knows how to score. Once both Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla retire, or at least leave the Avalanche, Ahl could get a chance to prove himself as that top-six power forward, alongside Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly or Nathan MacKinnon.
Filip Ahl has a very high floor. Unlike many of the past Avalanche draft picks, he should play quite a few games and hopefully years in the NHL.
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