Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 12 Elias Pettersson

As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Elias Pettersson, who went from a late first rounder in the rankings to a top 15 prospect with a great campaign in the Swedish second-tier.

The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.

This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.

On Saturday, we looked at Eeli Tolvanen. Today, we profile Elias Pettersson, who is the 12th-ranked prospect on our board.

Pettersson has been in the Timra IK system his entire career. After playing 25 games with the top team last season, he played his first full season this year.

And he didn’t disappoint, scoring 41 points with 22 assists. He also finished with six points in three games during the Allsvenskan qualification stage.

Here’s what Future Considerations had to say about Pettersson:

"An energetic forward with highly creative hands, good work ethic and offensive skills…smart and aware on the ice…dangerous one-on-one player…combination of speed and the ability to make quick turns in different directions with the puck make him hard to pin down…can pull off multiple quick dekes in unison with quick changes of direction to break ankles of defenders…keeps his feet moving and brings quick pressure on his opponent offensively…finds open ice and creates space for himself to get off his strong wrist shot"

Pettersson has made two separate appearances this season with Sweden. The first was at the U-18 World Championships, where he had eight points, seven of which were assists, in seven games. He also played in the 2017 World Juniors, but only managed a single point in six games.

Last month, Pettersson decided he’d be playing in the SHL next season with the Vaxjo Lakers. His older brother Emil was acquired by the team halfway through this season, so it’s more than likely — like a few of the previous prospects — that unless he cracks an NHL roster out of camp, he’ll spend a year or two playing in the SHL.

Next: The Leafs' centre problem

What’s your take on Pettersson? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted 12th overall, or is this too high or low? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section.