23 Options for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2024 Draft - Lucas Pettersson
By Austin Kelly
SCOUTING ANALYSIS
Pettersson has been a player I've been a bit higher on than most for a while.
He's a creative two-twway offensive forward who has the creativity and puchandling to create for himself and others. He does well in battling to push plays forward and does well moving in tight, which is good to see a player who can do well in cramped areas with the larger, more open European ice.
He a little undersized at 5'11 and just over 170lbs, but he doesn't play like a lightweight. Although he can get knocked down at times, Pettersson does a good job recovering and shows some decent defensive effort in his abability to keep opponents closed down.
He plays a consistent high-tempo game, constantly moving with and without the puck.
On occasion he may over-skate, but he does well in composing himself to not get caught doing too much. He's a strong playmaker but as one of MoDo's top players, Pettersson also showed himself capable as a goalscorer with an accurate wrist shot that hopefully he'll show more of.
He's likely more of a playmaker than a scorer in the NHL where he has to worry less about being the main man, although he'll likely get a few scoring chances, he reads more complimentary than the main producer.
I'm not sure which is nicer, the bardown snipe or the nasty celly.
— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) May 5, 2024
Lucas Pettersson (2024) mercifully opens the scoring in the bronze medal game with 10 minutes left in the 3rd period. pic.twitter.com/DxIny63z9j
He seems like a middle-six forward with special teams potential on the 2nd unit of both the PP and PK. Right now Pettersson looks like a 33rd liner, but with some added strength could eventually be a 22nd liner, perhaps a 2C.