Toronto Maple Leafs: Andreas Johnsson Named AHL All Star

With Kasperi Kapanen occupied with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced today that Toronto Marlies forward Andreas Johnsson will take his place at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.

Johnsson, much like Kapanen, has certainly earned this selection.

The 23-year-old Swede has developed into an offensive stalwart on a deadly Marlies team. To date, he’s put up a stellar 17 goals and 29 points in 38 games this season.

Johnsson’s journey to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization is perhaps one of the most peculiar in recent memory.

Draft Day Debacle

Skill was never the issue with Johnsson. Rather, scouts unanimously condemned Johnsson’s conditioning. He was routinely spotted gasping for breath on the bench, seeming far more sluggish than a teenager should be.

As a result, teams neglected to spend an early round pick on someone with supposed “fitness issues”. The widespread hesitation caused Johnsson to tumble down the draft board and into the seventh round, falling right into Toronto’s lap.

This is precisely where his story takes a significant turn.

Following the draft, it was revealed that Johnsson had actually been suffering from an undiagnosed case of sports asthma for the entirety of his athletic career. Such an ailment severely limited his lung’s capacity to take in oxygen.

You know, something incredibly vital to an athlete’s success.

With his asthma now properly treated, Johnsson exploded. He began his assault on the SHL by earning Rookie of the Year honours with Frolunda, as a teenager playing against men.

It’s been speculated that, had his diagnosis occurred prior to draft day, Johnsson would have likely ended up as a late-first or early second round selection. There’s simply no way a player with his skill level would have fallen to the seventh under any other circumstances.

Now, he’s developed into one of the most exciting prospects in an organization teeming with them.

Kapanen Back Down

In a peculiar twist, the Leafs announced they had loaned Kasperi Kapanen back to the Marlies earlier this morning.

This is an odd move for a number of reasons. Namely, if Kapanen is now back in the AHL, why exactly is Johnsson replacing him?

Kapanen was selected to last year’s All-Star Classic as well, being forced to skip the festivities due to injury. It seemed likey that, as he earned himself another selection, the Leafs would send him down to attend this year.

Doing so would act as a de-facto reward for Kapanen’s stellar play, along with his resilience in recovering from the prior season’s injury.

Instead, it seems as if the NHL schedule is to blame for Kapanen’s second consecutive All-Star absence. The AHL’s festivities take place on both Sunday and Monday, while the Leafs play their next game Wednesday in Brooklyn.

For Kapanen to be sent down during the NHL All-Star weekend, only to not miss the AHL’s own game essentially guarantees that he will be recalled prior to Wednesday’.

With that said, it seems as if the Leafs sent him down to experience tangible game action during the break. A similar course of action was taken with recent call-ups Travis Dermott and Frederik Gauthier when the Leafs underwent their bye week.

Regardless, both Kapanen and Johnsson have put forth undoubtedly All-Star worthy seasons. For both to be recognized is nice to see.

Next: All Star Stats Update

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