Andersson flies under the radar
SI.com’s hockey beat reporter Michael Farber comments about the five hockey individuals who are frequently overlooked in his latest online column.
The Red Wings’ director of European scouting, Hakan Andersson, was the number one guy on the list. Andersson was the one who found Pavel Datsyuk and he’s also responsible for Henrik Zetterberg as well. The Wings don’t get those high draft picks so it’s because of Andersson and his staff, the team has been able to develop successful young and talented players.
No. 1: Hakan Andersson, the Detroit Red Wings’ Director of European Scouting. General manager Ken Holland gets the credit, and occasional blame, for the state of the Wings, who remain an elite team on an annual basis despite rarely having a high draft choice. (Since 1993, Detroit has selected only once in the top 20: Jakub Kindl, in 2005, at No. 19.) But even with the retirements of Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Igor Larionov and the departure of Brendan Shanahan and others in the merry roundelay of sports, the cupboard never seems bare in Detroit because of the exemplary work of Andersson, a name known only to puckheads. His assessment of European talent is akin to the keen eye of David Conte, New Jersey’s celebrated director of scouting who keeps the Devils stocked with American-born players.
Andersson doesn’t ever get a crack at the Ovechkins and Malkins, but he perceives value in later rounds that other teams miss. In 1998, he recommended Pavel Datsyuk, the Russian who was taken with the 171st pick. He followed that up with Henrik Zetterberg, who was drafted 210th in 1999 and made a name three years later while starring for Sweden at the 2002 Olympics. Niklas Kronwall, taken 29th in 2000, will be a core defenseman if he can ever stay healthy. Maybe Jiri Hudler, the gifted Czech drafted 58th overall in 2002, might never be the high-end forward the Wings envisioned, but at No. 95, Detroit picked Valtteri Filppula, another key forward, in the same draft. In 2004, Andersson recommended Johan Franzen at No. 97. His track record in a hit-and-miss business is astounding.
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