LA Kings Prospect Report: Austin Strand
- Updated: January 8, 2018
As the Los Angeles Kings build for the future, their emphasis on defense remains key. In late November, the club signed WHL defenseman Austin Strand to a three-year entry-level deal as the Seattle Thunderbirds blueliner looks to make a good impression on the silver-and-black’s brass in the coming months.
At 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, Austin Strand possesses the size that was instrumental in helping the Kings win two Stanley Cups in three years. In fact, Strand already has a WHL Championship to his name as his four goals and 10 assists helped Seattle capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2017. Additionally, the win gave Strand the unique distinction of playing in consecutive Memorial Cups with two different teams. In 2016, the lanky defenseman helped lead his former team, the host Red Deer Rebels, come within one game of the MemCup final.
Just prior to the new year, I had a chance to speak with Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette about Strand. In particular, O’Dette discusses how far Strand’s come since being acquired by Red Deer during the 2016-17 campaign and also what the soon-to-be 21-year-old needs to work on as he prepares for life in the pros.
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
Never Apologize for Being Offensive
After celebrating career-highs in goals, assists, and points between Red Deer and Seattle last season (9-23=32), Austin Strand, in just 36 games this season, already has 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points.
Photo by Dennis Pajot/Getty Images
“Well, he evolved his game. When we got him, we definitely saw the potential on that side of his game,” O’Dette said. “He’s got all the tools to be a good offensive defenseman but I think it was just a matter of putting it all together.
“Him maturing as a player would be one thing and him realizing that sometimes with his game, trying to do too much can be counter-productive. So, I think in a lot of ways, he’s simplified his game by making the easy plays and the smart plays and it led to him creating offensive opportunities for himself and his teammates. I think the biggest parts of his development has been in his decision-making and the mental side of his game.”
A Fluid Motion
While his offensive prowess is critical, there’s much more to Austin Strand’s game. For instance, it could be argued that the Calgary native’s strongest asset is an area where other Kings defensive prospect have struggled, at least in their earlier junior days. Nonetheless, O’Dette discusses what Strand brings to the table, especially this season has garnered a plethora of interest from different NHL clubs.
“Well, his biggest strength, and I think that’s why he created so much interest with NHL teams, is that he’s a guy who’s an excellent skater,” stated O’Dette. “For a big guy, a big defenseman, he can skate very well — that would be his biggest asset — and he can handle the puck and shoot the puck. I mean all the physical tools are there.”
As for which areas need improvement, O’Dette not only touched on these but sounded confident that Strand could — and, frankly, would — address these issues sooner rather than later.
“I think the biggest things he has to improve on are his consistency and then his reliability in making the right decisions on the ice,” O’Dette continued. “He’s improved a lot with the mental side of his game and making the proper reads during the game. He just has to consistently do that and be a defenseman that’s reliable on both ends of the ice. I think if he continues to do that, then he can play in the NHL.”
A Good Attitude Goes a Long Way
Photo credit: Brian Liesse
One of those important points to remember when it comes to any athlete, though, is that regardless of the amount of talent one possesses, it will only take you so far without the right attitude. However, there doesn’t seem to be any concern from Matt O’Dette regarding Strand in this department. In fact, it was no coincidence that the Thunderbirds made the big blueliner an assistant captain shortly after acquiring him from Red Deer.
“He’s great in the locker room,” O’Dette assuredly stated. “His personality is pretty positive, is an easygoing guy whose teammates like being around. From the coaching side, he’s very coachable. He’s willing to learn and he’s open to what the coaches are teaching him.
“That was part of his maturation: learning and applying what the coaches are telling him and doing more video and things like that. I think that side of his game and that side of his, I guess, preparation got a lot better just from learning to be more coachable and being more of a professional in his preparation.”
This is Austin Strand’s fourth and final season in the Western Hockey League. Over the course of his junior career, the new Kings prospect has played in 235 regular-season games, collecting 28 goals and 68 assists for 96 points to go in hand with a plus-16 rating. He has even added 17 points (6-11=17) in 37 playoff games. Plus, as seen in the video above, Strand has also proven that he’s not only ready and willing to drop the gloves but does an as admirable job at holding his own, and then some.
As for his coach, Austin Strand may be hard-pressed to find a bench boss who suits his game better than Matt O’Dette.
A Toronto native, O’Dette is in his first year as Seattle’s head coach. He was the club’s assistant for the previous three seasons before being promoted following Steve Konowalchuk’s departure last summer. Yet, while Konowalchuk was a 14-year NHL veteran, it can be argued that Austin Strand may benefit more from his current head coach.
Photo credit: Brian Liesse
A former blueliner himself who stands at 6-foot-5, O’Dette stresses the importance of defense on any team. In fact, Seattle’s bench boss has helped develop two of the last three WHL Defenseman of the Year award winners, including 2015 recipient Shea Theodore who has since become an integral part of the Vegas Golden Knights’ vast success this season.
As for Konowalchuk and Strand, they may become reacquainted sooner than later as the former Washington Capital is now the assistant coach for the Kings’ crosstown rival, the Anaheim Ducks.
After 38 games, Seattle boasts a 20-14-4 record for 45 points — good enough for a fourth-place tie in the WHL’s U.S. Division. However, Strand and the T-Birds are just four points out of first place as the Portland Winterhawks try to hang on to the top spot in the division.
Despite being left undrafted, Austin Strand’s stock has elevated ten-fold this season. In addition to his offensive breakout, Strand’s skating, size, and leadership all sit comfortably in the blueliner’s favour. But, as O’Dette said, if he can garner more consistency, then Austin Strand may just end up competing in the NHL far sooner than we’d think.
Heck, even if he doesn’t crack the big club’s roster next season, at least Austin Strand will leave many wondering “when” and not “if”.
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