Gabriel Landeskog

History

2008-09: Gabriel Landeskog played for Djurgardens IF in Sweden's Junior-20 league.  He played in 31 games for that club, scoring 7 goals and adding 14 assists for 21 points.  In 6 playoff games for that team, Landeskog scored 1 goal.  Landeskog also played in 3 games for Djurgardens in the Swedish Elite League, picking up 1 assist in those games.  He represented Sweden at the 2009 Under-18 World Junior Championship, potting 4 goals in 6 games and tacking on 24 penalty minutes.  Landeskog was chosen third overall in the 2009 CHL Import Draft by the OHL's Plymouth Whalers, who then traded his rights to the Kitchener Rangers.

2009-10: Landeskog began his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers.  He played in 61 games for that club, scoring 24 goals and chipping in 22 assists for 46 points.  In 20 playoff games for the Rangers, Landeskog scored 8 goals and added 15 assists for 23 points in his team's unsuccessful bid to unseat the Windsor Spitfires as OHL champions.

2010-11: In his second season with the Rangers, Landeskog played in 53 games, scoring 36 goals and adding 30 assists for 66 points.  In 7 playoff games, he scored 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points.  Landeskog played for Sweden at the 2011 World Junior Championship but appeared in just one game due to an injury that knocked him out of the rest of the tournament, as well as causing him to miss the 2011 CHL Home Hardware Top Prospects Game.  He scored 1 goal and added 1 assists in that one WJC game.

 

Talent Analysis

The swift-skating Swede has a quick release, plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and is not afraid to drive the net. A natural leader, Landeskog is a good offensive player but his skills might not be elite enough to produce big numbers at the NHL level.

 

Future

Landeskog was the 2012 NHL Rookie of the Year and has graduated from prospect status.