Filip Johansson

May 2023 – Sometimes, you just have to take a chance and gamble, and early indications appear that the Canucks may have won this bet. Johansson, a former Minnesota Wild first-rounder, had a strong season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and showcased improvements in his all-around game. He received an uptick in ice time, excelled on the power play and penalty kill, and even contributed a career high nine goals and 21 assists in 63 games. Following his strong comeback year, the right-shot rearguard made the leap across seas, joining the Abbotsford Canucks following Frolundas’ second-round exit. The 23-uear-old suited up for three games and was paired with Jett Woo and despite bagels on his statistical ledger, he showcased his much-improved skills and even saw opportunities on the power play. You can expect Johansson to stick with the baby club for the 2023-23 campaign. However, given that he deploys on the right side, there could be an opportunity sooner, rather than later, should the big club run into troubles. NHL top-six is back on the table. Dave Hall

June 2022 – The Minnesota Wild elected to leave their 2018 first-rounder (Johansson) unsigned, allowing others to pursue his rights. The Canucks, who find themselves in an obvious need of re-stocking the shelves, took a no-risk flyer on the two-way rearguard – signing him to a two-year Entry-Level deal. While the offensive numbers have never fully come together for him, tallying just 26 points over 132 SHL games, there is still some intrigue to be had. Now 22, his game has taken more of a defensive approach and can play minutes in a variety of fashions, offering potential peripheral upside. He is expected to remain in Frolunda for one more season, after which, expect a good stint in Abbotsford. Overall, he remains a long-term project but offers decent value as a right-shot, third-pairing asset. Dave Hall

February 2021 – Johansson’s offensive game seems to have taken at least a little bit of a step forward, with the Swede more than doubling last season’s point total in fewer games. Offense was never expected to be his calling card, but if he can continue to progress in that area, Johansson could finally begin to match the expectations the Wild placed on him by shockingly drafting him in the first round back in 2018. Sam Happi

March 2019 – Minnesota’s first-round pick last year has had a bit of a disappointing season to date. Playing in the Allsvenskan with Leksands IF, he has shown that the defensive side of his game is still his calling card although his consistency this year has been an issue. Playing against men hasn’t put an excessive strain on his defensive game due to the fact that it is primarily based on good positioning and having a good stick. His skating has continued to be a strength for him in the defensive zone and has allowed him to show flashes of offensive potential. However, his offensive game has continued to be very limited due to the situations he has been playing in this season and lack of power play time. Johansson is a developmental project player that will likely make the NHL but his ceiling is much lower than you would prefer from a first round pick. Tony Ferrari