LHD; Rasmus Sandin, 19, 5’11, 183-
AHL (GP; 21, G; 2, A; 13, PTS; 15)
NHL (GP;17, G; 1, A; 6, PTS; 7)
When Rasmus Sandin was called up it was a huge breath of fresh air. We saw glimpses of his potential in October, eventually being sent down and then we saw him dominate in the AHL. Now we get to see more and see how far he’s come since making his debut.
Sandin makes hockey look so simple by playing a heads up game. Some of the manoeuvres he is able to pull off is breath-taking for someone his age. Sandin plays like a veteran, by consistently making the right plays at the right time.
It certainly helps having a mentor like Borje Salming, teaching Rasmus the ropes on how to play in the NHL.
Sandin being 5’11 allows him to be more shifty and agile on the ice, but it takes away from his physical effectiveness. With bigger opponents, he resorts to using a combination of his size and stick, with his mobility maximizing the effort. He doesn’t play a style of game that has a shelf life, if he plays till he’s 40, don’t be surprised in the slightest.
The most impressive part of all of his is that Sandin has already been put onto the second powerplay unit. Keefe could have gone to Muzzin, Dermott, Holl, but chose Sandin. Management knows they have something special in Sandin, as Keefe puts Rasmus out on the PK at times too.
Sandin’s emergence has made Travis Dermott potentially expendable for a future trade as well.
It should be noted, Sandin has been put into difficult minutes in the NHL, having 53.8% of his zone starts in the defensive zone. With these starts, Sandin has managed to have a positive corsi of 53.9%
ETA; Now
Potential; Top 4 defenseman, who can step into a top pairing role and provide valuable minutes. Rasmus has a high IQ when moving the puck, using his mobility and agility to evade forecheckers. Has special teams abilities as well.