Victor Johansson, once sitting pretty at #10 on that summer’s top 25 under 25 list, just took a five-spot dive to #15. That’s a significant drop, especially when you see four players who were ranked *behind* him last year , Holinka, Quillan, Haymes, and Akhtyamov , have now climbed ahead. If that doesn’t make you scratch your head, nothing will.
The Prospect Pool Is Getting Deep, Fast
Here’s where it gets truly wild. Not only did some established names jump Johansson, but four brand-new draft picks from *this year’s* class immediately landed ahead of him. McKenna is an obvious one that makes sense, but the other three, including Bilecki, were mostly third-round picks. Johansson was a fourth-round pick from two years prior, 2024. And get this: all three of those other players, along with another new addition to the rankings, Andrae, are *all defensemen*, just like Johansson. It’s almost like the organization didn’t have a ton of quality defense prospects for a long time, so maybe Johansson just looked better than he was because he was like an oasis in a desert. The source admits it, they were surprised by this drop, and it feels pretty clear that a lot of people have simply cooled on him compared to last year.
Johansson’s Path: A Mixed Bag of Development
But here’s the kicker: Johansson’s development since being drafted 120th overall in 2024 has actually been quite good, especially considering he was a total unknown. Seriously, the source claims they’ve never seen a player taken with so little known about him. At 20.18 years old, 6’1″, 147 lbs, and shooting left as a left defenseman, he quickly changed that narrative. He made a huge leap in Sweden’s junior league, becoming the top all-situations defenseman for a Leksands junior team that dominated the league, only just losing in the semi-finals. His offensive output was insane: 39 points in 47 games that season alone, absolutely blowing past the 35 points he had in the previous three combined seasons (over 118 regular season and playoff games!). That kind of play got him recognized by Sweden, earning his first-ever call-up for seven international games. This year, he upped that to 14 international games, even making their World Juniors roster as a 7th defenseman, though he might have been hurt during the tournament, as it took him a couple of weeks to return to regular season play in Sweden. This year also marked his first season playing entirely at the pro level, even though he was still young enough for junior.
So, what’s next for Johansson? With the prospect pool clearly deepening at a rapid pace, he’s got to dig deep and prove this ranking slide is just a minor bump. He needs to show why he was once considered a top-tier guy and fight to stand out amidst all this new talent.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pension Plan Puppets.
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