Ólafur Atlason Pre-Draft Profile



Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Ólauf Atlason is a six foot four offensively focused center hailing from the well known agency of HabsFanFromOntario (HFFO). Growing up in Iceland, Atlason stood out compared to his competition from when he was young. Often looking to compete against the best, Atlason was selected for the best team in Iceland and routinely traveled to Europe at the youth level. It was no surprise when he was eventually selected by the HFFO organization and was transported to North America leading into the SMJHL draft. The agency prioritized Atlason's development and has been quickly ramping him prior to the SMJHL and his Simulation Hockey League (SHL) journey. The organization and their scouts have seen elite flashes from Atlason, but also understood that he will still need to be more polished heading into the SMJHL draft and eventually the SHL draft.

Standing at six foot four, Atlason is amongst one of the taller centers heading into the S77 SMJHL draft. He couples his elite genetics  with strong intelligence as he tends to read plays much quicker than his opponents, specifically in the offensive zone. Even as a tall player, Atlason has no trouble losing his defenders via his craftiness and is capable of getting himself open nearly at will. This skill is extremely crucial at the SMJHL level as most other prospects will be adjusting to a much quicker level. A concern for his getting open ability specifically relates to the adjustment from European to North American ice surfaces. We often see that offensive players in Europe tend to struggle when transitioning to the North American ice surface. We believe that given the high levels that Atlason has played at, he should be amply prepared for the smaller surface and will put himself in strong positions in the offensive zone nearly at will.



Coupled with his ability to get open at will, Atlason is an extremely strong play creator. Using his tall and filled out frame, Atlason is able to generate many unique angles for his passes. Whether he is muscling a defender along the board or on an odd-man rush, Atlason manages to get the puck exactly where his teammates need it to be to quickly execute on wide open shots. In his arsenal are elite saucer passes, backhanded passes, as well as tape to tape breakout passes while in the defensive zone. He is a player who continuously uses his elite intelligence and big frame to put his teammates in positions to succeed. He not only puts his teammates in positions to succeed on the ice, but also off the ice. Scouts were able to note the improvement that "Team Iceland Youth" had following Atlason's arrival. More players from their program were placed on the SMJHL radar and the team had won a greater percentage of their games in the showcases that they were involved in. Much of this could be attributed to Atlason placing his teammates through his off-ice training program and his influence in the team training program.

While it is impossible to deny Atlason's strengths in the offensive end and off the ice, he tends to leave a bit to be desired in the defensive end. For someone of his height and weight, Atlason tends to avoid blocking shots or generating hits. One would think that being six foot four would eventually lead to pucks hitting him, but Atlason has found even the most creative of ways to avoid blocking shots before they get to his goalie. This is a skill that will likely be improved as he adapts to the North American style of hockey. Additionally, he may end up blocking more shots simply due to the narrower rinks. He also seemingly avoids contact unless it can lead to a goal. Atlason is a strong forechecker, mainly using his stick, but when he backchecks he avoids contacting his opponents to take them off of the puck. The two prior listed weaknesses are ones that are expected from a European wunderkid adapting to the North American style of hockey and is something that we expect that the HFFO agency will work with the prospect to improve.

As a whole, Atlason is a projectable offensive center who may need teammates to win possession for him to create scoring chances for his teammates. When his team has the puck, he may be one of the most dangerous players in the SMJHL even in his very first game. We expect SMJHL general managers to trust the agency that Atlason is represented by and the elite flashes that were shown in Europe. The expected range for Atlason in the SMJHL draft should be anywhere in the top five. With a strong agency devoted to his continued development and with access to some of the most elite personal coaches in the world, Atlason is positioned to become an elite low-risk SMJHL player with projectable offensive capabilities and leadership skills.

@HabsFanFromOntario

Code:

825 words

Hell yeah!

“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. ... There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”





Ólafur Atlason| C | SMJHL Prospect | Future Edmonton Blizzard
Birthplace: Reykjavik, Iceland
------------------------------------------------------------
Transactions
[/pbl]
------------------------------------------------------------
Awards
------------------------------------------------------------
Achievements
[/pbl]
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL Season Stats
S76: GP: 0 | G: 0 | A: 0 | P: 0 | 0 | PIM: 0 | Hits: 0 | |
SMJHL Playoff Stats
S76: GP: 0 | G: 0 | A: 0 | P: 0 | 0 | PIM: 0 | Hits: 0 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
SHL Season Stats