Top 25 Under 25, #18: Andreas Englund
Englund is up two spots from last year's rankings to number 18 this year.
Andreas Englund was ranked 20th-overall in last year's Top 25 Under 25. Because the Bobby Ryan trade had sent the Senators' first-round pick to the Ducks, the 40th-overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft was the Sens' first pick of the draft. He was listed as a defensive defenceman, having put up only 10 points in 33 games with the Djurgårdens IF J20 team, and only two points in 19 games with Djurgårdens IF in the Allsvenskan (second-tier Swedish hockey).
The good news for Sens fans is that Djurgårdens qualified for promotion to the SHL for the 2014-15 season. This meant that most of Englund's games came in top-flight Swedish hockey. True to form, he put up five points in 49 games.
Englund was likely drafted because of his size. At 6'3" and 198 lbs, he could grow into the necessary body for a shutdown defenceman. His strength, passing, mobility, positioning, and awareness are all listed as strengths to his game. However, he is unlikely to ever be an offensive force, so he should continue to improve defensively to justify his selection as a second-round pick.
Sens fans will have a hard time seeing much of him next year, as he has committed to another season with Djurgårdens in the SHL. If he can continue to progress, he should be seeing significant minutes in one of the top leagues in the world. Our best bet to watch him live will likely be at this year's World Junior Hockey Championships in Helsinki, where Englund is all but a lock to make the team.