Best swedish prospect pool

cheerupmurray

Registered User
May 26, 2010
1,465
2
Stockholm
There has been some teams that invested heavy in swedish prospects lately. How would you rank theese teams pools of swedish prospects?

Detroit: Gustav Nyquist, Calle Järnkrok, Joakim Andersson, Adam Almqvist, Dick Axelsson, Mattias Bäckman (Daniel Larsson?)

Ottawa: Mika Zibanejad, Jakob Silfverberg, David Rundblad, André Petersson, Robin Lehner, Fredrik Claesson, Marcus Sörensson

Vancouver: Anton Rödin, Henrik Tömmernes, Pathrik Westerholm, Eddie Läck, Sebastian Erixon, Ludwig Blomstrand, Peter Andersson

Nashville: Magnus Hellberg, Anders Lindbäck, Mattias Ekholm, Patric Cehlin, Simon Karlsson

New Jersey Devils: Adam Larsson, Alex Urbom, (Tedenby and Josefson not strictly rookies but not far from)

Anaheim Ducks Rickard Rakell, Max Friberg, William Karlsson, Tim Heed, Andreas Dahlström

New York Rangers Oscar Lindberg, Tim Erixon, Jeper Fasth, Carl Hagelin, Andreas Thuresson (not a rookie anymore)

New York Islanders John Persson, Johan Sundström, Anders Nilsson, David Ullström

Toronto Maple Leafs Mark Owuya, Tom Nilsson, Petter Granberg, Daniel Brodin

Minnesota Wild Johan Larsson, Jonas Brodin, Johan Gustafsson, Alexander Fällström

Chicago Black Hawks Marcus Krüger, Ludvig Rensfeldt, Joakim Nordström, Klas Dahlbeck, Johan Mattsson

What the other teams have: Dallas (Nemeth, John Klingberg, Molin) Edmonton (Lander, Klefbom, Motin), Colorado (Landeskog, Nermark) Carolina (Rask, Lindström), Winnipeg (Carl Klingberg, Sebatian Owuya, Pettersson-Wentzel), St.Louis (Wännström, Lundström), Florida (Markström, Bengtsson) Montreal (Engqvist, Westin, Nygren), Columbus (Forsberg, Blomqvist)

My top-5 would be:

1. Ottawa Senators (Could get as many as 5-6 NHL-players from this group, also have starpower in Rundblad and Zibanejad)
2. New Jersey Devils (Counting Tedenby and Josefson it's a great group)
3. Nashville Predators (The best organization at drafting swedes in my opinion, finds late round gems, two great goalies, have high hopes for Cehlin and Ekholm)
4. New York Rangers (Awesome group considering they only drafted two swedes in the last nine years, Lindberg looking really good, Erixon great)
5. Detroit Redwings (Järnkrok is great, Nyquist and perhaps Andersson have a chance to become NHL-players. Don't think Almqvist, Axelsson and Daniel Larsson will make it.)
 
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topshelf15

Registered User
May 5, 2009
27,993
6,005
Why has Sweden become such a powerhouse?

I think its because they can play a NA style of game,also i beleive its their upbringing Swedes are known for being a hardworking ,proud and intellegent type of people.:nod:
 
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cheerupmurray

Registered User
May 26, 2010
1,465
2
Stockholm
Why has Sweden become such a powerhouse?

Sweden revamped their development system. They had to since the quality of prospects where low.

From 2002 to 2006 Sweden missed the semifinals in WJC every year, finnishing at 8th place at worst. From 2007-2011 Sweden have made the semifinals every year, medalling three times. The record at wjc u-18 is very similar.

The new development system focuses more on individual skill development like skating, and the kids gets to play more offensive and fun hockey in stead of the old boring defensive hockey that focused too much on tactics at an early age.

Sweden have also become heavily influenced by northamerican hockey, stealing the good parts with going to the goal, scoring on deflections and rebounds, traffic in front of the goalie and so on. The swedish junior teams forechecks harder and shoots more theese days. They also worked a lot with changing the mentality of the players, creating winners and not players satisfied with a 6th place finnish. Ironicly Sweden have ended up second place a lot and haven't won much on junior level.

Then it's also a matter of demographics, the great 1990 and 1991 agegroups coincided with that this agegroups where really big overall since theese years where babyboom years in Sweden.

It's much more fun to follow swedish prospects theese days, actually looking around the different teams, every team in the league had at least one swede stached away somewhere in NHL, AHL or in the prospect pool.
 
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topshelf15

Registered User
May 5, 2009
27,993
6,005
Sweden revamped their development system. They had to since the quality of prospects where low.

From 2002 to 2006 Sweden missed the semifinals in WJC every year, finnishing at 8th place at worst. From 2007-2011 Sweden have made the semifinals every year, medalling three times. The record at wjc u-18 is very similar.

The new development system focuses more on individual skill development like skating, and the kids gets to play more offensive and fun hockey in stead of the old boring defensive hockey that focused too much on tactics at an early age.

Sweden have also become heavily influenced by northamerican hockey, stealing the good parts with going to the goal, scoring on deflections and rebounds, traffic in front of the goalie and so on. The swedish junior teams forechecks harder and shoots more theese days. They also worked a lot with changing the mentality of the players, creating winners and not players satisfied with a 6th place finnish. Ironicly Sweden have ended up second place a lot and haven't won much on junior level.

Then it's also a matter of demographics, the great 1990 and 1991 agegroups coincided with that this agegroups where really big overall since theese years where babyboom years in Sweden.

Like i said they are a very industrious people ,i find ammusing that in the same time frame that russian hockey has fallen ,for not adapting. While sweden looks to continue moving up :nod:
 

Boxscore

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The Flyers are the best - Erik Gustafsson>>>>Zibanejad, Lehner, Rundlad all combined, etc.
 

AtlantaWhaler

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Jul 3, 2009
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Not #1, but Preds fans are real excited about Anders Lindbäck, Mattias Ekholm, and Patric Cehlin for sure.
 

cheerupmurray

Registered User
May 26, 2010
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Stockholm
Alexander Fällström was traded to the Bruins FYI.

Ok, still like Wilds pool of swedes though. They will all be very important for Swedens wjc-team this year. Gustafsson will most probably be starting goalie, Larsson the nr.2 center (or nr.1 depending if Zibanejad isn't free), Brodin perhaps the nr.1 -man.
 

Dosing

Registered User
Sep 10, 2010
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Edenryd
1. Detroit (Don't need a reason as a wingsfan)
2. Ottawa (With mcvalross this team should play hockey that suits swedes very well)
3. Anaheim (Very high on friberg and karlsson but heed will be the biggest suprise)
4. New jersey (josefson and larsson should turn out great for them)
5. Vancouver (Have to include pathrik's brother ponthus here to those two will be gold in 3-4 years)
 

Saugus

Ecrasez l'infame!
Jun 17, 2009
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Ottawa is clearly tops in this regard, but Devils fans (and management) are very pleased with their group of Swedes. In addition to these prospects, the Devils also have reliable veterans like Tallinder and Hedberg.
 

jbeck5

Registered User
Jan 26, 2009
16,218
3,239
There has been some teams that invested heavy in swedish prospects lately. How would you rank theese teams pools of swedish prospects?

Detroit: Gustav Nyquist, Calle Järnkrok, Joakim Andersson, Adam Almqvist, Dick Axelsson, Mattias Bäckman (Daniel Larsson?)

Ottawa: Mika Zibanejad, Jakob Silfverberg, David Rundblad, André Petersson, Robin Lehner, Fredrik Claesson, Marcus Sörensson

Vancouver: Anton Rödin, Henrik Tömmernes, Pathrik Westerholm, Eddie Läck, Sebastian Erixon, Ludwig Blomstrand, Peter Andersson

Nashville: Magnus Hellberg, Anders Lindbäck, Mattias Ekholm, Patric Cehlin, Simon Karlsson

New Jersey Devils: Adam Larsson, Alex Urbom, (Tedenby and Josefson not strictly rookies but not far from)

Anaheim Ducks Rickard Rakell, Max Friberg, William Karlsson, Tim Heed, Andreas Dahlström

New York Rangers Oscar Lindberg, Tim Erixon, Jeper Fasth, Carl Hagelin, Andreas Thuresson (not a rookie anymore)

New York Islanders John Persson, Johan Sundström, Anders Nilsson, David Ullström

Toronto Maple Leafs Mark Owuya, Tom Nilsson, Petter Granberg, Daniel Brodin

Minnesota Wild Johan Larsson, Jonas Brodin, Johan Gustafsson, Alexander Fällström

Chicago Black Hawks Marcus Krüger, Ludvig Rensfeldt, Joakim Nordström, Klas Dahlbeck, Johan Mattsson

What the other teams have: Dallas (Nemeth, John Klingberg, Molin) Edmonton (Lander, Klefbom, Motin), Colorado (Landeskog, Nermark) Carolina (Rask, Lindström), Winnipeg (Carl Klingberg, Sebatian Owuya, Pettersson-Wentzel), St.Louis (Wännström, Lundström), Florida (Markström, Bengtsson) Montreal (Engqvist, Westin, Nygren), Columbus (Forsberg, Blomqvist)

My top-5 would be:

1. Ottawa Senators (Could get as many as 5-6 NHL-players from this group, also have starpower in Rundblad and Zibanejad)
2. New Jersey Devils (Counting Tedenby and Josefson it's a great group)
3. Nashville Predators (The best organization at drafting swedes in my opinion, finds late round gems, two great goalies, have high hopes for Cehlin and Ekholm)
4. New York Rangers (Awesome group considering they only drafted two swedes in the last nine years, Lindberg looking really good, Erixon great)
5. Detroit Redwings (Järnkrok is great, Nyquist and perhaps Andersson have a chance to become NHL-players. Don't think Almqvist, Axelsson and Daniel Larsson will make it.)

lehner also has star power! :nod:
 

Hybbe

Registered User
Oct 6, 2009
1,517
101
Ottawa, but I love nashville's group as well. Hellberg and Lindbäck both have nhl starter potential and Ekholm is up there with the best swedish d-man prospects imo.
 

Jesus Christ Horburn

Registered User
Aug 22, 2008
13,942
1
Ottawa.

I just wish they had drafted Paajarvi instead of Cowen in 2009 (not that Cowen isn't great, just that Rundblad makes him expendable).
 

cheerupmurray

Registered User
May 26, 2010
1,465
2
Stockholm
Ottawa....if Lindback is a prospect, then so is Karlsson.

Lindbäck can still win the Calder I think since he has played less than 25 games (22 games), Erik Karlsson have played almost two full seasons and can not by any logic be considered a rookie.

If you count players that only have one season of NHL under their belt too, Edmontons pool look damn good with Pääjärvi, Omark, Lander and Klefbom.
 
Jul 30, 2005
17,660
4,588
I mean, what is location, really
Nyquist is gonna be a helluva player. Babcock is really impressed by him and is saying he's a sure-fire NHLer. Even compares him to Datsyuk.

“What I saw in the rookie camp is Nyquist is going to be an NHL player for sure,'' Babcock said Tuesday.

“He's like Pav (Datsyuk) in that he skates faster with the puck than he does without it, creates space every time he's on the ice,'' Babcock said. “He's professional with and without the puck. Looks like a hockey player. He's an NHL player.''
 

newfy

Registered User
Jul 28, 2010
14,718
8,241
Ok, still like Wilds pool of swedes though. They will all be very important for Swedens wjc-team this year. Gustafsson will most probably be starting goalie, Larsson the nr.2 center (or nr.1 depending if Zibanejad isn't free), Brodin perhaps the nr.1 -man.

Wasnt Jarnkrok the number 2 center last season and he is sitll eligible this year. Have a hard time believing he'll end up the third center
 

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