Confirmed with Link: Rangers trade Ethan Werek to Phoenix for Oscar Lindberg

[eco's bones]

I did a search on HF last night to get more information on Lindberg and in Phoenix's draft day thread on Lindberg last year it was mentioned that he'd just signed a three year deal with Skelleftea--and if that's true it means he has two more years to go now. Maybe another reason then for the deal is the Coyotes wanted a player ready to go pro and the Rangers not so sure on Werek decided they would rather wait a couple years for Lindberg.

Lindberg sounds very intriguing. 14 points as an 18 year old in the SEL is actually pretty decent.

Again with Werek--his offensive production--while good--more or less was the same the past two years as his draft year--together with the skating issues and the injuries he had last year and the subpar ending to his junior career the Rangers might not have felt that he'd improved enough over last couple years to warrant signing him. Roman Horak who they did sign OTOH showed a lot of improvement from last year to this.

By the way I don't think Drury and Peca are all that comparable. Peca was a lot more physical and if he were playing today he'd probably would have had some issues with Colin Campbell as he was known as a big hitter--some of those hits crossing the border between clean and dirty. Overall I think Peca was the better player though.

 

[Panfork]

The Rangers really seem to favor players who continuously make improvements on their game year after year. Callahan, Anisimov, Stepan, McIlrath, Thomas. 5 players they've been high on, 5 players who, every year, have played better than their last. Werek didn't really seem to absolutely improve his game overall year to year. I feel he definitely fixed some things, but he was more or less the same player throughout his junior career. I've noticed over time that the last few years, Sather, Clark, etc all seem obsessed with noticeable improvement, even if it means picking up raw talent.

 

[RangerBoy]

Lindberg is a late 91 born player. 10/3/91. If he was born before 9/15/91,2009 pick. The NHL and the Swedes have a transfer agreement in place and teams have 3 years to sign a player or lose his rights. Transfer agreement runs through 11-12 when the current CBA expires. When the 6/1 deadline to sign Jacob Markstrom was coming late last May,Bill Daly told everyone to relax and Florida had until 2011 to sign Markstrom but they signed last May anyway.

Jan Erixon is his uncle. The Rangers would be fortunate if the nephew was just like his uncle.

 

[vipernsx]

I really like this deal. I always saw Werek as more of a long term bottom 6 winger, which the Rangers don't have any glaring need for. Lindberg on the other hand fills the role of a solid checking line/shutdown/PK centerman who's already dominant on facesoffs and that's a skill that typically only veterans are skilled at. Bravo!!! to scouting and brass for acquiring this kid.

Add to it he showed in the WJC that he shows up in big games, scores big goals, and doesn't give up on plays and he's the right personality that the Rangers like and I like the move even more!

Sammy Pahlsson is very underrated imo and if this kid turns out as good, I'd be very happy.

The Real question here is what happens to Grachev? He was converted to center and given PK time. This extra time was attributed to his better play down the 2nd half. You've got to figure that guys like Lindberg and Hagelin are going to squeese him for that PK time and that time down the middle. If NYR signs Kreider, is it the nail in Grachev's coffin? Is he the piece that gets moved that Schoenfield is talking about?

 

[azrok22]

I really like this deal. I always saw Werek as more of a long term bottom 6 winger, which the Rangers don't have any glaring need for. Lindberg on the other hand fills the role of a solid checking line/shutdown/PK centerman who's already dominant on facesoffs and that's a skill that typically only veterans are skilled at. Bravo!!! to scouting and brass for acquiring this kid.

Add to it he showed in the WJC that he shows up in big games, scores big goals, and doesn't give up on plays and he's the right personality that the Rangers like and I like the move even more!

Sammy Pahlsson is very underrated imo and if this kid turns out as good, I'd be very happy.

The Real question here is what happens to Grachev? He was converted to center and given PK time. This extra time was attributed to his better play down the 2nd half. You've got to figure that guys like Lindberg and Hagelin are going to squeese him for that PK time and that time down the middle. If NYR signs Kreider, is it the nail in Grachev's coffin? Is he the piece that gets moved that Schoenfield is talking about?

I expect Lindberg's going to remain in Sweden for at least this season. This move actually eases the pressure on Grachev, because instead of competing with Hagelin and Werek for ice time with the Whale, now he doesn't need to compete with Werek.

 

[vipernsx]

Lindberg is a late 91 born player...
Jan Erixon is his uncle. The Rangers would be fortunate if the nephew was just like his uncle.

Interesting fact....they'd be very fortunate indeed. Jan Erixon, who was physical and dominant on faceoffs....scary thought. Tim looks like he's going to be quite the defenceman.

 

[Garfinkel1]

Gotta love a 3rd line C who can take control the faceoff circle. It just gives the coach another weapon in his arsenal.

Does he have a strong two-way game? Will he be able to play the PK? that kind of face off skills + ability to play PK makes him very very useful...

 

[vipernsx]

I expect Lindberg's going to remain in Sweden for at least this season. This move actually eases the pressure on Grachev, because instead of competing with Hagelin and Werek for ice time with the Whale, now he doesn't need to compete with Werek.

The competition is good. As the senior player in Hartford, Grachev should be winning out in the competition and if he's not, it's not a good sign. There's certainly a new crop coming into Hartford and I want to see how he's going to respond. This isn't a Grachev thread so I don't want to get off topic. But if Lindberg does come over, it's going to be a big challenge to the big Russian and I wouldn't expect to see him get any more PK time.

 

[RangerBoy]

Jan Erixon was an excellent defensive forward. He was a winger. He wasn't a physical player. He played a hard game. Erixon had a bad back. He joined the Rangers along with Peter Sundstom whom at that time was considered the better player. Whenever the Rangers had a new coach which almost every year when Esposito was the GM,Erixon had to prove his worth to the new coach. Michel Bergeron wouldn't dress Erixon at the beginning but when he finally put Erixon in the lineup,he asked himself why he was so stupid by scratching Erixon.

The transfer agreement allows the Rangers and Lindberg to agree to terms with the Rangers paying a transfer fee to get him out of his contract.

 

[Beacon]

Dale Weise is a better physical, bottom-6 prospect than Ethan Werek. The guy put up almost a point per game in the AHL, he's big and physical, and close to making the NHL after making significant progress in his game every season.

But it's much harder for Weise to look good in his first stint in the NHL than for Werek in the minds of people who are fantacizing about a power forward.

That bottom-6 power forward you want will be a tough, hard working guy scoring point per game in the pros while constantly improving.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

Have you ever seen either of these players play, aside from a couple of World Junior games, if even that? Werek is no slouch in the faceoff department.

This kid made the faceoff circle his ***** (69% was the number, I think) against adults in the SEL.

I liked Werek, but I just don't think he would've been more than a bottom 6 winger.

 

[Draft Guru]

I'm fine with this trade.

Werek had to be signed by June 1st...The Rangers made the decision they weren't going to sign him, so rather than risk losing him for nothing they got back a solid prospect in Lindberg. Can't complain.

 

[Ola]

I don't understand this trade at all. I haven't seen Werek play, but from what I understand he was a solid prospect? are we just doing more favors for Phoenix? maybe Werek didn't want to sign.

Admittedly I've not seen much of Werek, but whenever I've seen him he have given me very bad wibes.

I mean, you just do not make it these days unless you can skare -- and Werek is not a good skater. He is gifted, he have good size -- but so many guys like that goes to the AHL and struggles to score even 30 pts. I do not mind drafting players like Werek after the 1st round, because before you know it you get them to train right, fix some "flaws" and they skate like Dubinsky and you have a steal on your hands. But Werek just weren't able to improve his strides, was injured a lot et c. Not to mention that he just isn't that talented either. Like he is miles behind someone like Thomas and co.

You got the impression early he wasn't going to pan out, and I've basically not seen any positive signs from him since being drafted. It sounds like we got out just in right time.

 

[bobbop]

They're not afraid to cut bait and move on.

So true. Reminds me of one of the first lessons I learned when I was managing minor league hockey teams. Ron Ingram (former Ranger defenseman, now deceased) told me "you can't fall in love with a player you are evaluating. They are all pieces of meat."

Hard, hard lesson but true.

 

[NYR Viper]

SHINY NEW TOY, already?

For the love of god, stop penciling people into the lineup without due dilligence. PLEASE.

Not at all. If you read through the thread I said I have been high on him since before the draft. Thanks for playing

 

[Ola]

Anders Hedberg is undoubtedly Slats "eyes" in this trade, and I figure Hedberg thought of his old pal Jan Erixon when advicing Slats on this trade.

Oscar Lindberg is a young kid but he is very mature and smart hockey player. He is a very quick skater so to speak, changes directions in a hurry, can go back and forth at high speed. He is a decent play-maker and often scores big goals.

I don't wanna be funny, but he kind of reminds me of a young Chris Drury, lol. Nah but he is that type. Extremely clutch on FO's. Scores big goals. Skates very well, can caught a D flat-footed and beat him one on one, but also is pesky on the back-check and when chasing the puck in his own end. He is not big but also not small, he'll fill out and be at like 195 lbs.

But more then anything else, he have some of that "clutchiness" in him. In some PO's series, he is all of a sudden a pest that drives the other team nuts. In a PO game that goes to OT he is all of a sudden creating more then any other skater on the ice. That type of guy who is noticed and gets involved.

I think he is a good pickup. You never mind to have a player like him on your team. Even if he don't make it he will help out in HFD. He is a smart defensively solid center, and we do not have many of them in the systems really.

If I were to compare him with a current NHLer it would be Sami PÃ¥hlsson.

 

[Ola]

Also, there is one thing I want to add.

Good hockey-program's create good playeres. Some towns/minor teams produces a player like every 10-15th year. When a talent shows up. Most players comes from great programs, they develop around other really good prospcets. Skellefteå have made a lot of changes to their program, and they probably work harder with their kids then any other program. Their leaders think that when they were kids they were out playing on the "ponds" 6 hrs per day and training with their teams 3 hrs per week. And now have their kids training with their teams at the rinks like 30 hrs per week instead since kids don't hit the ponds anymore. And it have paid off. Adam Larsson is one product, you also have David Rundblad who is one of Ottawa's best prospects and Tim Erixon who also is a 1st round pick of Calgary, and like 3-4 others like Lindberg who are solid NHL prospects. The Swedish program is also very hot right now, and plenty of players, like say a Marcus Johansson in Washington, Marcus Kreuger of Chicago, and several others, are making it to the NHL despite not being 1st roundeers or that highly touted.

Never mind the kid, odds are just a lot higher to take a kid from a program like that then say opposed to a player from Slovakia or Finland right now, who are struggling to get any players to teh NHL.

 

[94now]

Its very possible Maloney LOVES Werek. Or that they may have been trying to sign Lindberg and he has said he wants to stay in the SEL for a couple more seasons. Or they feel they need/want to have more of a power-forward type on their prospect pool.

More likely Lindberg indicated he won't go to Manitoba.

 

[wolfgaze]

Rangers are shaping up to be one of the best skating teams in the league in a couple seasons based on the skating ability of their pool of prospects... Sure not all these guys will be on the roster but quite a few should:

-Kreider / Hagelin / Grachev / Thomas / and now this guy we've just traded for you guys are saying is a good skater.

Not sure about Horak's skating ability.

It would be a huge asset to have a team full of good skaters who have excellent conditioning due to Tortorella's strict standards. Perhaps we're already seeing some of the benefits of our team's conditioning and our current skaters evident from the team's ability to compete in 3rd periods this year (undefeated when leading going into the 3rd and a team that staged quite a few 3rd period comebacks). Skating & conditioning is definitely a huge asset in the playoffs as some other teams begin to wear down.

 

[SurMartin]

Not many highlights out on the tube but you have this one (which also shows what Ola talked about with a lot of other talented kids):
http://vimeo.com/20511132
(turn off the sound if you can't stand the song )

Lindbergs is featured with:
Goals @ 0:38, 1:34, 1:55, 2:35
Assists @ 0:16, 2:24

Edit: Oh and I think Olas comment on Lindberg is extremely accurate (as always ) Couldn't have put it better myself!

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Not many highlights out on the tube but you have this one (which also shows what Ola talked about with a lot of other talented kids):
http://vimeo.com/20511132
(turn of the sound if you can't stand the song )

Lindbergs is featured with:
Goals @ 0:38, 1:34, 1:55, 2:35
Assists @ 0:16, 2:24

Wait, so he's #24? It's so bloody hard to tell who's who with their names on the bottom of their sweaters.

For a good 30 seconds I was thinking "Who is this guy Boliden? He's everywhere!"

 

[SurMartin]

Wait, so he's #24? It's so bloody hard to tell who's who with their names on the bottom of their sweaters.

For a good 30 seconds I was thinking "Who is this guy Boliden? He's everywhere!"

Yup #24, perhaps I should've mentioned that. Yes I hate all the advertisement on SEL-jerseys.. makes even the most beautiful jerseys turn ugly as ****.
Don't know how much this tells you about his overall game but at least it's something.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

Late to the party here. Didn't see this coming. Werek is a solid player. Must be something deeper then we know. Bad relations? Werek never struck me as a bad character.

Swedish kid looks like he has potential.

 

[wolfgaze]

Late to the party here. Didn't see this coming. Werek is a solid player. Must be something deeper then we know. Bad relations? Werek never struck me as a bad character.

Swedish kid looks like he has potential.

SNYRangerBlog website has a bit more info via a twitter comment from Jess Rubenstein at Prospect Park.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

SNYRangerBlog website has a bit more info via a twitter comment from Jess Rubenstein at Prospect Park.

Here's the quote for those too lazy to search for themselves.

Werek put himself in the NYR doghouse between not following training plan and not communicating about his injury

Interesting...