Barrie Colt 2015 #NHL Draft Prospects: Rasmus Andersson. (@RalleA) #OHL

Earlier this week we did a preview of Barrie Colts goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood heading into this upcoming NHL Draft which can be seen here.

Blackwood is not the only must watch Barrie Colt headed into the 2015 NHL Draft. Rasmus Andersson heads into this Draft coming of an incredible debut with the Colts this year!

Last week, TSN's Bob McKenzie released his final rankings for the upcoming draft and picked Andersson to go 59th overall (2nd round). Personally, I would be shocked to see him get selected so late in the 2nd round. I would expect him to go earlier in the second and possibly even late in the first round.

Headed into this season a huge fear was the massive hole on the blue line after former captain Aaron Ekblad headed south to start his NHL career with the Florida Panthers. And when the Colts drafted Andersson in the first round of the 2014 CHL Import Draft, I don't think fans expected Andersson would be the guy to fill that spot. 

The Malmö, Sweden native was an incredible fit with the Colts right away. He finished his OHL debut season 3rd in the league for defenseman in points with 64 pts in 67 games played. His 52 assists were the 14th most of all players in the OHL. 

Strengths

Incredible hockey IQ. His reading plays in the offensive zone was a huge attribute to the team anytime he was on the ice. Knowing when to pinch along side the boards was a huge plus for the team. I can't count the times I screamed "Get back, get back!" only to follow it up with "Okay, Rasmus has it" this season. He never made it easy on the opposing team to clear the puck from their zone. 

Having 3 teammates with 100+ point season makes you think that assists were handed out here in Barrie but that wasn't the case. Rasmus has an incredible ability to move the puck and always is able to find an open man. As talented as many of his teammates are; Andersson and his 52 assists was a huge contributor to the Colts offensive success this season. He really took the role as being the teams quarter back.

Rasmus also is incredible at moving his legs. He will carry the puck deep into the offensive zone causing opposing players to have to chase him and get out of position. Very much so like Pittsburgh Penguin Kris Letang in that regard. And though only 6' tall, his 212 lb frame made him a tough guy to knock off of the puck. 

Andersson also has a very hard shot and he is not afraid to use it. He is also a tough kid who is hard on the puck and rarely loses puck battles. 

Areas of improvement

If there is an area of Andersson's game that could be improved it would be his speed. He moves well and has great agility but doesn't always have the speed needed to win races to the puck. He is not a bad skater, and for those who recall last year; Aaron Ekblad was questioned as far as skating ability. This is something that can easily be worked on. Speed can come with practice while not all of his attributes can be taught.

Player Bio

Date of Birth; 1996-10-27
Birthplace: Malmö, Sweden.
Age: 18
Shoots: Right
Height: 6'0" / 182 cm
Weight 212 lbs / 96 kg

The NHL Draft is June 26th-27th, 2015 from Sunrise, Florida.

What are your thoughts on Andersson's chances headed into this years NHL Draft? Let us know in the comments, on our Facebook Page or on Twitter!