| Landen Gunderson | Madison Capitols | USHL | R | RW | 6’0″ | 187 | Western Michigan | 2024 | Plymouth, MN | 2004 | 2022-2023: C |
Why an NHL draft pick: He’s got good size and he’s strong. He totally torched Minnesota High School hockey last year to the tune of 80 points in 30 games. He’s a late a 2004 who has always done well at USA Hockey camps where he was competing against the best players in his birth class. He will battle at the top of the crease and 65% of his shots hit the net
Why not an NHL draft pick: Yes he’s been injured and missed significant time this year, but at the time of this writing he’s got 25 shots on goal in 24 games played with 21 of them coming from outside the right hashmarks. He has won 37% of his 50/50 puck battles during his rookie year in Madison.
USHL: Fall Classic NHL Draft Prospects, November 16, 2022: The late 2004 Gunderson has an NHL frame to go along with an NHL skating base. We feel as he adjusts to the USHL he has the physical traits to dominate on a shift by shift basis. As the puck carrier on line rushes he showed confidence by attacking the middle lane and kicking the puck wide to his linemates and then using his strength to be an effective middle drive. He also showed the gap recognition and vision to slam on the breaks after gaining the offensive blueline then locating the second wave of the attack. As the season progresses we feel he will need to continue adding attention to detail away from the puck. In defensive zone coverage there were too many times when he cheated to the offensive side of coverage hoping for an opportunistic bounce. We also feel that in offensive transition he is used to be able to beat opponents with speed and as he learns to use a change of pace he will be able to catch defenders flatfooted. There is a lot to like about Gunderson’s game and we will be watching him closely as his rookie season progresses. Grade: C
USHL Showcase, November 15, 2022: Gunderson is a good-sized centerman who enters his rookie season after a dominant year in Minnesota HS as the captain of Maple Grove where he notched 80 pts in 30 games which was 19 points more than the second leading scorer. At the high school level he was a two-way center who could score played with pace and was hard and physical in the dirty areas to come out of scrums with possession and attack the net. Here he was physical and showed that hustle and also made some skilled plays on zone entries and through the neutral zone but he also showed some bad habits. He doesn’t stop on pucks and we found ourselves writing this constantly as he took big circles on the forecheck in the neutral zone and on turnovers. He competed hard for pucks along the boards and down low in the corners showed some speed up the wall but away from the puck he can be stationary didn’t work to get open and was lackadaisical in his defensive zone coverage. Gunderson is a smart player he can find his teammates through a crowd he knows how to read a defender on the rush and know when to cut in when to drive wide and when to use them as a screen to shoot and was smart about manipulating gaps with change of speed or pull-up/cut backs on zone entries. Upside is there and NHL Central Scouting agrees as they put him on the NHL Draft Players to Watch List but his lack of experience showed at times; stick in the air instead of in lanes not stopping on pucks going straight on the puck carrier on forechecks instead of angling. In fairness these are normal adjustments for prospects going from Prep/HS hockey to juniors and is even more amplified at the USHL level as he finished his first two games -4 and including a 10 minute checking from behind penalty and 3 shots son net. Grade: B-
MNHS: Class AA Final. Andover vs Maple Grove, March 14, 2022: Gunderson is a highly skilled, high motor forward with remarkable vision, having a three-assist night with some nifty plays on the puck. He can fly in open ice and attacks with his feet moving and head up. His first assist came off a won faceoff that he snapped back cleanly, and the defensemen got a quick shot for a rebound goal. He has eyes in the back of his head as he knows where his linemates are at all times. He received a pass that bounced off the wall near the hash marks, he then no-look one touched it with his backhand between his legs to his linemate who quickly buried in space. His third assist of the game came as he was circling up high in the offensive zone, opened up his hip to see more, waited patiently for a lane to open up in the high slot, sending a pass right in Giuliani’s wheelhouse for a one timer goal. He creates chances with his legs and vision as he can control the puck at pace and brush off contact. GRADE: A
MNHS: Class AA Semifinals. Maple Grove vs Prior Lake, March 13, 2022: Gunderson had a quiet three-point night with a goal and two assists. His goal came as he entered the zone in the middle of the ice, took the puck out wide and finished with a missile released from just under the right-side faceoff dot, beating the goaltender to the near post. Landon almost glides with pace and seems to always be in the right areas of the ice. He attacks head on and loves to go right at the defenders with the puck on his stick as he can make slick moves and get passed them in a variety of ways. Gunderson makes plays in small areas and creating his own time and space. GRADE: B
MNHS: Class AA Quarterfinals. #3 Maple Grove vs Edina, March 11, 2022: Landon had five shots on net, a goal and an assist on the afternoon. He is a long forward that is strong and gets off checks well. For his goal, he got lost in coverage and slipped into the mid-slot. He received a pass from behind the net and one-timed a well placed shot by the goalie. He uses his reach well to protect the puck and buy time and space. He plays a direct game and attacks defenders straight on through the neutral zone. Has a good pair of hands to break down defenders on the line-rush or make plays in tight. Doesn’t panic under pressure and calmly identifies and makes reads. Grade: B+
MNHS: Maple Grove High School vs Lakeville South High, January 5, 2022: Gunderson plays a complete hockey game both offensively and defensively. He competed in all zones of the ice making him difficult to play against. Gunderson is a physical player and would often initiate contact. He is a grinder with skill. He is a strong skater and played with a good pace to his game. He demonstrated deception, exceptional vision and hockey sense when making offensive plays. He was an effective penalty killer because of his quickness and aggressiveness. He shoots the puck well. Gunderson was the most important forward on his team. Grade: A-
Minnesota Elite League, December 7. 2021: Landen is a late 2004 birthyear who was noticeable all weekend. He plays a strong north-south game and uses his feet and speed to drive the puck up the ice. He slashes through the neutral zone and uses his strong edges and balance to cut to space and beat defenders in transition. Has slick hands to break defenders down one-on-one and also make plays in tight areas. He has some touch on his passing and made quick reads to find open teammates. He carries the puck well at speed and would curl back away from pressure and look for trailing teammates. Takes ice when given to him and has a quick release on his shot. Sees the ice well and constantly looked to find teammates cutting backdoor. Scored a goal driving the net on a 2-1. Works hard and competes in all three zones. Draws defensemen to him then passes against the grain to change the angle of attack. Always around the net and puck and does not hesitate to battle. It solid weekend and a good deal of upside. Grade: A-
2004s: USA Hockey Select 17’s, July 14, 2021: Gunderson is a good-sized, multi-dimensional forward out of Maple Grove HS where he averaged over two points per game including 21 goals in 23 games after playing on a line with NHL Draft prospect Kyle Kukkonen. The late ‘04 showed a strong, versatile game; he wins pucks along the boards and in the corners and was able to walk defenders off the wall and get pucks to the net. He rides his edges to the net on line rushes and even had a nice wrap around attempt when he caught a goalie out of position but he made a nice last second slide and save. He made several plays from behind the net, walking out and trying to go high short side high and had a few nifty passes to the slot area. He has clean first touches, he can accept hard passes forehand and backhand and has superb puck protection ability both along the boards and on the rush. He plays a possession style game, he waits for seams to open before making his play and then attacks without hesitation. Gunderson has good puck control through body checks and through hooks and slashes and is able to drive the net. He competed hard in all three zones, he made slick short passes low, he shot through a stick check (not an easy thing to do) and backchecked hard through the middle of the ice. He may not have produced any points in his four games but he’s a hockey player and his game will translate at the higher levels. Grade: B
MNHS: 2021 Minnesota State Tournament Class AA, April 19, 2021: Landen is a smooth-skating, high IQ, late ‘04 who wasn’t his best in the tournament but plays well beyond his years. He had a great assist on a centering pass from behind the net on the power play in the semi-final game but was blanked in the quarters. He plays a strong game, has good vision, and made numerous passes to generate offensive attacks. He made cross-ice seam passes and direct stretch passes with zip and on the tape. He shoots with a purpose, he can pull and attack space or he can go wide with speed and cut in at the goal and is tough to knock off the puck. He needs to clean up some area of his defensive game and stop on pucks instead of taking rink turns but for his age to have his skill and composure with the puck is impressive. Obvious NCAA D1 prospect. Grade: B+
Minnesota Elite League Review, October 28, 2020: Gunderson is a polished ‘04 with a good size and speed combo out of Maple Grove HS. He protects the puck well, has smooth and patient hands and can feed the slot area. He had a brilliant assist in week 4 going behind the net with his head up but right before he went behind it he saw a forward streak to the goal and put it right on the tape for a tap in. He’s more of a table setter than a finisher and has 9 assists in 12 games in the Elite League showing both touch and vision and does a nice job reading the play, waiting for a lane to open and then making his move. We’d like to see him attack the net with more intensity and not pass off prime shooting lanes but we like his skill and selfless approach. Real upside and should take his game to the next level this upcoming season playing in a bigger role for Maple Grove.
MHHS: Top Uncommitted Players, March 30, 2020: Ranked #5 – We may have Landon higher than most on our radar but he has the history to back it up. Landon set the all-time record this Fall for most points in a season in the Minnesota Bantam Elite League. The Freshman had a strong finish to the year and played behind several older forwards on the Maple Grove squad. He has the stick and skating ability that makes plays all over the ice. STATS: 3-18-21
MNHS: Tradition at the Park Tournament, January 2, 2020: The Freshman looked very comfortable with the puck on his stick and he should be with his talent level. He showed a quick first couple of steps and the puck skills to go along with them. Not an enormous tournament in terms of production but his dynamic stick was on display. Coming off of a huge Bantam Elite League season, he is off to a nice start and should be a dominant player in the next couple of years.
Minnesota Bantam Elite League, September 4, 2019: In his first game of the playoffs, Landen set the record for most points in a single MN Bantam Elite League season. This is an impressive feat considering the top notch talent to come through the league. How did he do it? He displayed a deadly combination of explosiveness with his stick and feet. His first couple steps allowed him to separate from defenders. It didn’t take him much time to make a quick play with his stick to find an open teammate or snap one off pass the goaltender. He was a game breaker as advertised.
2004s: USA Hockey Select 15’s Development Camp, August 24, 2019: Landon is very poised with the puck in all three zones and plays the game with his head up. He has the confidence and vision pass through defenders feet or triangle. On the cycle he uses his body to protect the puck for extended periods of time and his poise with the puck makes him dangerous from behind the net. He keeps a low center of gravity while battling for net front positioning and his stick is always a target. Landon is a pass first player on the power play and we would like to see him utilize his shot more often. Grade: B
2004s: Minnesota CCM High Performance, July 17, 2019: Gunderson has the confidence to make plays on the blue line when entering the zone. He has no issue taking a puck back and reloading with his defenseman or turning up the ice by himself. He’s an excellent two-way player, often finding himself in a supportive position for his teammates. He is always offering himself as an option. He’s a playmaker who sees the ice very well and he likes to put pucks into areas to create opportunities for others.
2004s: World Selects Invite, July 10. 2019: A late ’04 with a sophisticated dimension to his game; he’s poised, he reads the full sheet and uses change of speed to throw off defenders gaps. He has a fluid release and scored both in tight on a one-touch goal on the rush and also from a hard wrist shot in the high slot. He showed smooth hands and composure with the puck under duress and was able to create scoring chances both on the rush and from off the wall, out of the corners and behind the net. He’s not a burner but he finds open ice and utilize his teammates around him to make plays. He compiled 3 goals and 2 assists in 8 games and will look to play for the talented Maple Grove HS team next season in Minnesota. Grade: B
North American Hockey Classic, June 27, 2018: Landen is a speedy centre with a good work-ethic and isn’t afraid to play physical. He was quick on loose pucks, especially in front of the net as we noticed him notch a few rebound goals. The 04 did well to always keep his feet moving in all three zones and was consistent with his forechecking and backchecking. Grade: B
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images