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.

More from Mile High Sticking

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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  • 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.

    More Draft Coverage:

    2015 NHL Draft Profile List

    Brandon Carlo

    Pavel Zacha

    Lawson Crouse

    Timo Meier

    Mikko Rantanen

    Zach Werenski

    Should Colorado Trade Up?

    3 Possible Draft-Day Scenarios

    Next: Draft Profile: Gustav Olhaver