Senators prospect Gabriel Eliasson is done with junior hockey: 'I want to take the next step'

Gabriel Eliasson (78) of the Barrie Colts and Teddy Spitznagel (24) of the Ottawa 67's battle for space in front of netminder Ben Hrebek in Game 4 of their Ontario Hockey League second-round playoff series. Photo by TIM AUSTEN/OTTAWA 67'S /HANDOUT

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Gabriel Eliasson doesn’t see the point in returning to the Barrie Colts for his over-age year in the Ontario Hockey League.

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Not that he isn’t grateful for what the Colts have given him — Eliasson got a healthy dose of playoff hockey in Barrie, dressing for 37 post-season games over two deep runs — but it’s just simply time to move on.

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“I’ve been in the OHL for two years now and the league is getting smaller and I’m getting bigger,” Eliasson told the Ottawa Citizen in a 1-on-1 interview at Sens dev camp last week. “I used this year as a development year, and really, really took big steps with my puck game and stuff like that.

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“I’m going to work hard in the summer, have a good camp, and try to take a spot on the AHL team. That’s what I want. I want to take the next step in my career.”

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The 6-foot-7 defenceman finds himself at a familiar crossroads this summer.

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Three seasons ago, Eliasson was the only player in Sweden’s top junior league to reach triple digits in penalty minutes. Already towering over every opponent at 17, he felt like a softer European rulebook was holding him back.

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After moving overseas, the OHL offered a worthy battlefield for some time. Eliasson felt comfortable throwing huge hits and aggressively defending his net, and even found himself in a few scraps each season.

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In his rookie year, he had 116 penalty minutes, fifth-most in the league. Last season, no one had more than his 122. That’s hard to do in a league that permits only three fights before dishing out suspensions.

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Does Eliasson have ‘an endless lust for violence?’

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Once described as having “an endless lust for violence” by Elite Prospects, Eliasson says the Colts’ deep playoff runs taught him how to remain disciplined in tight games. He now knows when to dial it down a notch. But the Senators still love how amped up he gets.

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“He’s a guy that’s super physical, super engaged,” director of player development Sam Gagner said of Eliasson. “And that’s a hard thing to teach to a guy, to be more physical, meaner. And Gabe has that. Sometimes we actually have to tone him down, which is a good thing.”

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A stay-at-home blue liner, Eliasson is keen on testing out the best part of his game against men in the AHL come the fall.

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“I always feel like the higher I play, the better I play, because I play against better players,” Eliasson said. “I think it’s also easier to play against a little bit stronger guys, a little bit bigger guys, because I can play my game fully, like to 100 percent without getting too violent, or you know getting called for everything.”

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To make the jump to pro and stick the landing, the Swede will need to take yet another step with his skating and puck skills over the off-season. Not that he’ll ever quarterback the top power play or be relied on to rack up the points, but Eliasson must be able to make a competent first pass in the defensive zone and man the blue line at the other end.

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“I think that was the best part of this year, that I tried to try to make more plays and not just playing simple,” Eliasson said.