As the SHL season begins this morning, Leksands IF GM Thomas “Tjomme” Johansson spoke with Hockeynews.se’s Andreas Hanson about the relative lack of changes on his team over the course of the summer, as well as the potential for growth in “Tjomme’s” son, Red Wings prospect defenseman Anton Johansson:
His son Anton is one of the most exciting players on the team for this season. The 20-year-old played 46 games last season, and many LIF fans hope that he will start where he finished in the playoffs, when he posted 4 points in 7 games.
“Yes, Anton has huge potential. But he’s still young. He needs to build on his experience. I think last year he was a bit shaky initially, mixing highlights with some junior mistakes, but he sanded it away the longer the season went, and into the playoffs, so he was probably one of our best defensemen. So I hope that we can continue to give him the environment that allows him to continue taking the steps forward, so that he can become a huge force on our defensive side.”
The challenge for Anton will be to be patient, thinks Tjomme. “Above all, daring to keep his game simple and not make too much of it. Be patient in your own game. I think that he showed a lot of stability in his game. So I hope he keeps developing, and if he does, then he will be a huge asset for us.”
