Denmark: Prospect Nikolaj Ehlers

Justinov

Registered User
Apr 30, 2012
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Copenhagen
The problem of going straight to SEL is highlighted by the fact that Nicklas Jensen was demoted from 1'st line to 4'th line despite scoring a lot of goals early in the season [whatver the much debated reason for it] and Thomas Spelling almost didn't play at all for Rögle and have lost ½ a season development (?) before being back in U20.

It's a very defensive league where it's hard to score goals....after 50 games only 1 guy in SEL has more than 20 goals (Carl Söderberg with an absolute breakout 30 goals). So when Nicklas Jensen is demoted inspite of 16 goals it's hard to understand.
 

Bank

Registered User
Nov 21, 2010
1,218
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Odense, Denmark
Actually for most danish players you have a much bigger chance eventually going to NHL by playing in Sweden first.

Holy generalization batman...

Drafted out of NA - Staying there: Mikkel Boedker, Oliver Bjorkstrand(Expected), Oliver Lauridsen

Drafted out of NA - going to Sweden: Nicklas Jensen

Drafted out of DK - going to NA: Jannik Hansen

Drafted out of DK - going to Sweden: Peter Regin, Frederik Andersen

Drafted out of Sweden - staying there: Philip Larsen, Lars Eller, Frans Nielsen.

Drafted out of Sweden - Going NA: Morten Madsen, Kiril Starkov

The discussion if NA or Sweden is the best route for Danish prospects is a long and nuanced one. Don't think the Swedish route can generally be declared the best. A lot of kids has failed going that way to. I personally think it completely depends on the players style and that Sweden in many cases is the best choice.

If any lesson can be toughed by the names above it's pick a route and stick with it.
 

Justinov

Registered User
Apr 30, 2012
4,206
22
Copenhagen
Holy generalization batman...

Drafted out of NA - Staying there: Mikkel Boedker, Oliver Bjorkstrand(Expected), Oliver Lauridsen

Drafted out of NA - going to Sweden: Nicklas Jensen

Drafted out of DK - going to NA: Jannik Hansen

Drafted out of DK - going to Sweden: Peter Regin, Frederik Andersen

Drafted out of Sweden - staying there: Philip Larsen, Lars Eller, Frans Nielsen.

Drafted out of Sweden - Going NA: Morten Madsen, Kiril Starkov

The discussion if NA or Sweden is the best route for Danish prospects is a long and nuanced one. Don't think the Swedish route can generally be declared the best. A lot of kids has failed going that way to. I personally think it completely depends on the players style and that Sweden in many cases is the best choice.

If any lesson can be toughed by the names above it's pick a route and stick with it.

Well what i meant is basically which players played in Sweden (I include the U16, U18, U20) at some point before going to NA to play NHL.....not when they were drafted. Only Jannik Hansen and Oliver Bjørkstrand has not played in Sweden at any point in their career.

Edit: Actually Jannik Hansen has as well in 2002-03!
So it seems to be an advantage for a danish player to go through the swedish system at some point in their career! Instead of going from Denmark directly to NA as Oliver Bjørkstrand seem to be the first to do (and Nicklas Jensen but he has gone to Sweden now to learn some defence before getting his NHL chance].

Actually it was the point to make a generalization! Whether it's true or not is actually not really being tested since every dane in NHL have played in Sweden at some point...so we have to see with Oliver Bjørkstrand if it's valid?!
 
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Bank

Registered User
Nov 21, 2010
1,218
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Odense, Denmark
Well what i meant is basically which players played in Sweden (I include the U16, U18, U20) at some point before going to NA to play NHL.....not when they were drafted.

Oh misread then... Though you were talking about draft years seeing as that's what Ehlers is entering. My bad :)

As you note a lot of Danish prospect does - at one or another - pass through the Swedish system. Location obviously a big factor. Rodovre did for instance have some form of co-operation with Malmo where the young players would play junior in Malmo instead of Rodovre if they were not on the AL-Bank-liga-team.
 

Justinov

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Apr 30, 2012
4,206
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Copenhagen
Oh misread then... Though you were talking about draft years seeing as that's what Ehlers is entering. My bad :)

As you note a lot of Danish prospect does - at one or another - pass through the Swedish system. Location obviously a big factor. Rodovre did for instance have some form of co-operation with Malmo where the young players would play junior in Malmo instead of Rodovre if they were not on the AL-Bank-liga-team.

Not being an expert on danish youth hockey, but it certainly seems that there is a lot more tactical defensive approach in Sweden. You can train your goalscoring in Denmark, but to be a good two-way forward you probably need to learn that in Sweden (preferable I think to NA youth hockey) - but you might lose some sniping skills?
 

QuietContrarian

Registered User
May 28, 2008
8,260
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trust me his hands are gold. this is how the kid do it against men's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBHVnayQ4Kk

by the by for now on he only plays in nla(first line). no more elite, only if A team get's out of play-offs.

It is very kind of you to keep us updated :)

Can you tell us a bit about his game? Is he as good as the numbers state? Or are they inflated?

Shame there isn't more of him online...

Where do you think he will go in the draft? As of now many sit at home "scouts" have him slotted in the early 2nd round.

What do people say of him in SUI? Does he get any media coverage?

Thanks in advance :D

BTW, Switzerland, Portugal and Hockey is a funny mix :) Care to share the story :P ?
 

HC Bienne

@llopesso19
Mar 13, 2012
544
1
Bienne, Swiss
www.eurohockey.com
It is very kind of you to keep us updated :)

Can you tell us a bit about his game? Is he as good as the numbers state? Or are they inflated?

he's better. but that is just me :)

i see this kid playing for 5 years. what he does whit those hands it's quite amazing. only twelve games and he already embarrassed some swiss man players in swiss lna. you can't go wrong with the kid. if he decides to go in sweden or CHL he will be easy a first round pick. just like young swiss Phil Baltlisberger.

i compare young ehlers with sven bartschi same skills same type of numbers with a crappy junior team. ehlers father was also sven bartschi coach in his first year playing with man in lnb. family ehlers is also close friends with Burakovsky family.
 

Justinov

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Apr 30, 2012
4,206
22
Copenhagen
he's better. but that is just me :)

i see this kid playing for 5 years. what he does whit those hands it's quite amazing. only twelve games and he already embarrassed some swiss man players in swiss lna. you can't go wrong with the kid. if he decides to go in sweden or CHL he will be easy a first round pick. just like young swiss Phil Baltlisberger.

i compare young ehlers with sven bartschi same skills same type of numbers with a crappy junior team. ehlers father was also sven bartschi coach in his first year playing with man in lnb. family ehlers is also close friends with Burakovsky family.

Yeah we really hope he can continue his developing curve because then the future looks very bright for him. Hope he can continue grow so he gets bigger than Bärtschi - since ~1.80 is a bit on the low side.
Heinz Ehlers and Robert Burakovsky played together in Leksand (1984-89), AIK (1989-91) and Klagenfurter (1994-95) before their hockey lives split apart. Heinz Ehlers was coach in Aalborg for both Robert and Michael Burakovsky 2005-07.
So the families have a lot of history together.
But André Burakovsky actually plays in Malmö right now, so a little strange that he didn't want to go there then, since his older brother Sebastian Ehlers also played in Malmö? It's likely though that André will leave for NA after being drafted this year?!
 

Chapin Landvogt

Registered User
Jul 4, 2002
19,875
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Germany
Thats a pretty big jump for playing in NLA to playing in SEL which is the 2nd strongest league in europe after KHL,lets see how the rival of our Rihards Bukarts will do there:laugh::laugh:

Indeed the SEL is widely considered Europe's 2nd strongest league in Europe (3rd worldwide), but my experience is that there really isn't that big of an overall difference between the NLA and the SEL in the grand scheme of things. The NLA is definately the 3rd best league in Europe - even better than what Finnland currently has up and running.

Of course, the NLA is a tick stronger financially than any league other than the NHL and KHL, which often allows them to have first crack at the better foreign players who can't quite make it in or to the NHL, but don't necessarily want to be playing in Russia.
 

QuietContrarian

Registered User
May 28, 2008
8,260
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he's better. but that is just me :)

i see this kid playing for 5 years. what he does whit those hands it's quite amazing. only twelve games and he already embarrassed some swiss man players in swiss lna. you can't go wrong with the kid. if he decides to go in sweden or CHL he will be easy a first round pick. just like young swiss Phil Baltlisberger.

i compare young ehlers with sven bartschi same skills same type of numbers with a crappy junior team. ehlers father was also sven bartschi coach in his first year playing with man in lnb. family ehlers is also close friends with Burakovsky family.

Thanks :)

Ive been comapring Ehlers with Bärtschi for some time now :)

Anyone knows if any OHL, WHL, QMJHL clubs have their eyes out for him?
 

Jevo

Registered User
Oct 3, 2010
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363
Ehlers picked up another assist in last nights playoff game. He's at 2 point in 3 games now.
 

HC Bienne

@llopesso19
Mar 13, 2012
544
1
Bienne, Swiss
www.eurohockey.com
i know that the has great hands but i didn't expect him to prepared to the play-offs. against a experienced team like fribourg when he's on ice every time he touches the puck, something good going to happen. without 9 injured players(and not the baddest ones) the kid stepped up. being a first line player at age of 17(turned in February) in LNA for the play-offs... you can't go wrong with the kid. for those who doubt that he can already play in SEL, please don't be surprised.
 

Jevo

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Oct 3, 2010
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363
Ehlers has another assist today. Making it his 3rd in 6 games I believe.

Thanks for the report Special One. Really great to hear that he doesn't look out of place offensively at this level, especially against such a good team. I guess that he probably still needs sometime to adjust to the physicality of pro hockey, but that should change with experience and age as he builds more muscle. How does he look defensively? Is he totally out of place or is he keeping up? I know he played PK in junior, but that probably isn't saying much.
 

HC Bienne

@llopesso19
Mar 13, 2012
544
1
Bienne, Swiss
www.eurohockey.com
defense he does ok. until now he's got positive numbers, but playing with marc-antoine pouliot helps a lot. biel plays 3-1-1 or 3-2 in neutral zone, he's the first player to defend, so he's doesn't have that center responsibility. he's a pure forward, damien brunner player type. no pk for him. to young for that. he's not physical but you can't broke him in that chapter. he's very quick on boards and he's got hockey sense.
 
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Jevo

Registered User
Oct 3, 2010
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363
Thanks for the answers. Pretty much what you can expect by such a young player. But very good to hear that he's not completely lost in his own zone.
 

Justinov

Registered User
Apr 30, 2012
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22
Copenhagen
defense he does ok. until now he's got positive numbers, but playing with marc-antoine pouliot helps a lot. biel plays 3-1-1 or 3-2 in neutral zone, he's the first player to defend, so he's doesn't have that center responsibility. he's a pure forward, damien brunner player type. no pk for him. to young for that. he's not physical but you can't broke him in that chapter. he's very quick on boards and he's got hockey sense.

Thanks for the updates. :)
Looks very promising - Denmark need pure forwards!
 

Jevo

Registered User
Oct 3, 2010
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363
Fribourg got it together in game 7, so Biel are out of the playoffs. This means that Nikolaj Ehlers season at Biel is probably over. I'm not sure if the junior team has anything coming up, or if he would even be sent there now. This means that his next tournament probably is the U18 division I WC in three weeks.
 

Justinov

Registered User
Apr 30, 2012
4,206
22
Copenhagen
junior season is also over. biel offers a two years deal to the young nikolaj ehlers. decision between biel and sweden. i would say 65%-35% for sweden...

Interesting....Nikolaj Ehlers seemed dead certain to go to Sweden, but a two year contract with Biel - especially if he get secure NLA time in his contract - might make him think again.
 

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