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Tayjay · 03-11-2020, 05:04 PM

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To call his rookie season a rollercoaster would be an understatement. From the 22 game pointless streak to start his career, to SMJHL championship there have been a lot of up and downs. SMJHL champion is a tough mountain to top your first year, but Taylor Johansson isn’t ready to give up that cup yet. He has been seen with the cup in numerous places as the Anaheim Outlaws continue to celebrate their Four Star Cup, but the media won’t tell you that Taylor is working on his game as he gets ready to defend the title. GM Donini13 is counting on Taylor to be a top 2 line forward next year and Taylor is ready to prove that he was a difference maker on this team.

Just 6 months removed from living around the Arctic Circle in Sweden, Taylor Johansson has traded in his parka for a championship shirt and shorts and he couldn’t be happier. The former unsigned Free Agent was discovered at an open tryout in Germany before getting the offer that brought him over to America. Missing out on all of the draft ruckus and hype only makes this SHL draft even that more special for the Swedish Center.

“I’m almost kind of glad I signed as free agent and missed the SMJHL draft. I was able to get a feel for the different teams that I was talking to and it eventually ended up getting me a ring. Now I get to transition into a leadership position here in Anaheim and at the same time prep myself for the next level.”

Taylor Johansson was known as a great skater coming into the league with exceptional puck handling skills, but not much of an organized hockey background. He had a very underwhelming start to his rookie season and even by the end he didn’t really have much to show for it. In the playoffs he was able to showcase some more of his raw talent but on the fourth line it was fairly hard to make a true impression.

Taylor Johansson Final Regular Season Stats: 2 G | 5 A | 7 P | 30 HIT | 2 Shots Blocked | 23 PIM

“Yeah I think I could have had a better regular season. At the beginning I was just happy to be here, but then I really began to mesh and realize how team hockey should be played. It’s still a learning curve but a lot of the other Outlaw rookies, and the vets, were helpful on teaching me some things. How to find open space, when to look to pass and when to try to score, etc. I think what gets overlooked is how we did when I got moved up to the 3rd line. In 50 games I had a plus minus of 0 as a 3rd/4th liner. How many guys can say that?”

The playoffs were a different tune. Moved down to the 4th line again for matchup reasons, Johansson was able to put together 1 goal and 3 assists in the 15 playoffs games en route to a championship. He had 1 goal and 1 assist in the 6 game series against the Whalers, followed up with no point in 4 games against the Carolina Kraken. He fared better against St. Louis where he had 2 assists, and some key faceoff wins in that 5 game championship series. An increase in his points per game from the regular season was nice but it left the forward wanting more. He will get a chance to show some of the hard work he has been putting in in the World Junior Hockey Championship as a part of team Sweden. His teammate from Anaheim, Rikard Hammarberg, will also be joining him.
Recently reports have come out that there were a couple of trades at the top of the draft that shook up the order. How the Season 53 draft unfolds is anyone’s guess. As Taylor sets his eyes towards the draft this Sunday we sat down to ask him about his thoughts on where he would go and the strengths and weaknesses that teams are talking about leading up to the draft.

“I don’t really have a good idea of where I’ll end up. I’ve been in contact with a few teams but it’s still anyone’s guess. I’ve seen mocks with me at #1, I’ve seen mocks with me around the tail end of the draft, and I’ve even seen mocks with people misspelling my name. So no, I don’t have a good idea where I will end up. I can tell you that whoever takes the chance on me will be getting someone they can mold. I’m still learning and I’ve got a few years to develop before I’m ready for the SHL. A newer guy may be off-putting to some but I don’t see that as a bad thing necessarily. I’ve got less ice time than other so I’m fresher in a way and willing to learn. Ask the Anaheim Locker Room, I’m always bothering those guys for tips and other drills I can do to get better.”

When asked about how to describe his game to other GM’s he had this to say,

“I’ve always been a good skater. Back home I wasn’t playing organized hockey so I would just do drills all day, so I think skating just kind of comes natural to me. I’m also a great puckhandler and a decent passer. I didn’t have many goals or assists this year but that doesn’t mean I’m not good at those things. Look at my faceoff percentage. Media wouldn’t know it but I was actually fantastic on faceoffs this year. I think I was around 53%, or something along those lines. That’s borderline top 10 for a kid playing 10 minutes a game”.

One thing is for sure he hasn’t backed away from competition. He has been trying to take the initiative in practices, and working to become a better leader on and off the ice. We will see where he ends up, and get his thoughts after the draft. If you want to see more from Taylor in the meantime, check out the World Juniors where he will be lining up for team Sweden.

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