| STORIES |
- Sunday, June 26, 2005: Age isn’t everything
- Sunday, June 25, 2006: Wings fast forward at the draft
- Monday, December 3, 2007: Three prospects to smile about (or not)
- Monday, January 28, 2008: Helm making AHL impact
- Monday, February 25, 2008: Hat Trick Dick cools off
- Monday, April 14, 2008: Griffins’ season not a lose cause
- Monday, April 28, 2008: The European prospect conundrum
- Monday, May 5, 2008: Red Wings keep ‘getting lucky’
- Monday, May 26, 2008: Will 2006 draft class deliver?
- Monday, December 15, 2008: Axelsson ‘won’t make it’ without changes
- Tuesday, December 29, 2009: Mursak back in spotlight
- Tuesday, January 12, 2010: Larsson, next in line, learns ropes
- Wednesday, March 23, 2011: Memorial Cup chase begins
- Wednesday, March 30, 2011: Axelsson still on Red Wings’ radar
- Tuesday, November 8, 2011: Health matters as Cayer finds college stride
- Wednesday, November 30, 2011: Sheahan’s offensive touch emerges
- Wednesday, March 14, 2012: Prospect list Ax-factor
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| HISTORY AND HIGHLIGHTS |
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Passed over in his first draft-eligible season in 2004-05 after recording 16 points in 31 games for Huddinge at the Swedish J-20 SuperElit level … Busted out offensively in 2005-06, piling up 34 points and 157 penalty minutes in just 28 games for Huddinge at the Swedish J-20 SuperElit level … Not ranked by any scouting publications or services, the Red Wings — loving his high-end skill and size — took a leap of faith and took him in the second round, 62nd overall, in the 2006 draft … Although he made Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League in 2006-07, he ended up back with Huddinge because of a contract dispute … Playing in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second level, Axelsson had 13 goals among 21 points in 25 games … Finally got his chance in Swedish Elite League in 2007-08 and had solid numbers (47-12-13-25) while cracking the national team for a mid-season tournament … Spent a night in jail in April 2008 for “drunk and disorderly conduct” after an argument with police … Left of Swedish team for 2008 world championship team because of his off-ice conduct … Signed three-year deal with Red Wings at season’s end … Attended training camp with the Red Wings in 2008-09 before returning to Djurgarden … Got off to an average start (18-5-7-12) but was kicked off the team in December because of poor on- and off-ice work ethic … Transferred to Farjestad, where he averaged close to a point per game (21-6-12-18) … Recorded four points in nine playoff games as Farjestad won Swedish Elite League championship … Made jump to North America at start of 2009-10 season but struggled (17-2-3-5) in the AHL with Grand Rapids and opted to return to Sweden in December … Finished 2009-10 season with Farjestad (15-6-4-10) … Spent 2010-11 season with Farjestad and posted the best numbers of his career (47-15-15-30) while finishing third in the league in penalty minutes with 126 … Also had 10 points in 14 playoff games to help Farjestad win Swedish Elite League championship … Transferred to MoDo in 2011-12 and saw his numbers decline (36-9-11-20) … While supremely talented, Axelsson’s brutal inconsistency, off-ice problems, and lack of commitment severely hindered his NHL chances … Remains property of the Red Wings indefinitely due to the lack of an IIHF-NHL transfer agreement.
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| RWC SCOUTING EXCERPTS |
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Offers sought after combination of size, skating and skill … Fast skater with great agility … Soft hands and a great scoring touch … Drives to the net … Intelligent offensive player with good hockey sense … Good one-on-one ability … Hard shot … Good playmaker … Occasionally delivers a big hit … Inconsistent … Great one shift invisible the next … Not defensively-conscious … Undisciplined, piling up penalties with roughing infractions and misconducts … Still thin and needs to add strength … Needs to show better commitment to becoming an NHL player.
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| RWC SCOUT QUOTES |
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“With his skill, he’s got to learn to play every shift. Some games, when he was going, he was unstoppable. Then we’d see shifts when he wouldn’t do much.” — Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill (2006) … “He’s a natural scorer. He has a great feel inside the blue line. Put him with a good center, he can be a real finisher.” — Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson (2007) … “He’s a young kid who’s been living off his skill level. Trouble is, every level you go up, everybody has the same skill level or better. If you’re gonna make it, it comes down to work ethic. That’s how you separate yourself.” — Nill (2008) … “He’s gotta mature and want to become an NHL player. He’s got the skill to do it. If he doesn’t want to change his ways, then he won’t play.” — Nill (2010) … “He is an improved player this year. When he played his best hockey this year, he’s NHL level. There’s no doubt about it. He’s stronger, he’s more mature and he’s been dominating on the national team. When he’s playing his best, he’s NHL good … Now, the problem is, when he plays his worst, he’s American League bad.” — Andersson (2011) … “We still own his rights, but he needs to play really big in those (international) tournaments and at the world championship for us to have some interest in him.” — Andersson (2012).
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Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
|
Playoffs |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 2002-2003 |
Huddinge IK U16 |
U16 SM |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2003-2004 |
Huddinge IK J18 |
J18 Allsvenskan |
13 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
38 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004-2005 |
Huddinge IK J18 |
J18 Allsvenskan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Huddinge IK J20 |
SuperElit |
31 |
12 |
4 |
16 |
34 |
| |
Playoffs |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 2005-2006 |
Huddinge IK J20 |
SuperElit |
28 |
19 |
15 |
34 |
157 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Huddinge IK |
Division 1 |
23 |
17 |
2 |
19 |
10 |
| |
Kvalserien AS |
8 |
6 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
| 2006-2007 |
Huddinge IK |
Allsvenskan |
25 |
13 |
8 |
21 |
113 |
| |
Kvalserien AS |
8 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
32 |
| |
Sweden U20 (all) |
International-Jr |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007-2008 |
Djurgården |
Elitserien |
47 |
12 |
13 |
25 |
44 |
| |
Playoffs |
5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
6 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008-2009 |
Djurgården |
Elitserien |
18 |
5 |
7 |
12 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Färjestad |
Elitserien |
21 |
6 |
12 |
18 |
32 |
| |
Playoffs |
9 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
Grand Rapids Griffins |
AHL |
17 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Färjestad |
Elitserien |
15 |
6 |
4 |
10 |
24 |
| |
Playoffs |
7 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
| 2010-2011 |
Färjestad |
Elitserien |
47 |
15 |
15 |
30 |
126 |
| |
Playoffs |
14 |
4 |
6 |
10 |
24 |
| |
Färjestad |
ET |
8 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
22 |
| |
Playoffs |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
| |
Sweden |
EHT |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
10 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011-2012 |
MODO |
Elitserien |
36 |
9 |
11 |
20 |
59 |
| |
Playoffs |
6 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
18 |
| |
Sweden |
EHT |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
7 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012-2013 |
Frölunda |
Elitserien |
45 |
10 |
14 |
24 |
79 |
| |
Playoffs |
6 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
| |
Frölunda |
ET |
8 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden |
EHT |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden |
WC |
8 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sweden (all) |
International |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2013-2014 |
Frölunda |
Elitserien |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
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Player statistics © www.eliteprospects.com
