Anyone on Chrome want to post the translation? I'm on a phone.
A tough challenge for Rundblad
New contract makes no warranties
Envägskontraktet provides financial security. But there is no guarantee that David Rundblad may open street into the NHL. No fewer than nine runs in the Phoenix Coyotes organization sits on envägskontrakt for next season.
- It will be a tough challenge, says Rundblad to hockeysverige.se ahead of Thursday's departure to North America.
After a long wait and some KHL speculation became clear last week: David Rundblad remains in the Phoenix Coyotes in the next two years. The 22-year-old hill got a envägskontrakt with the NHL club that pays him an average of 775,000 dollars per season regardless of whether he plays in the NHL or AHL.
- It took longer than I thought, but it was never so well that I was worried. I relied on to Phoenix and my agents would solve it. And they did after all, says Rundblad when hockeysverige.se reaches him in a summery Piteå.
- Phoenix was my first choice, I really wanted to stay at the club. It's nice that they have shown that they believe in me.
Envägskontraktet means that Rundblad gets financial security. Sporting, it is still a tough challenge to take place in Phoenix, which has both breadth and depth of their back side. The Swede is not the only station that has gone from two-way to envägskontrakt for next season. David Schlemko, Michael Stone and Chris Summers has been rewarded in the same way. This means that the Coyotes have nine defenders with envägskontrakt for autumn and also a very talented back Brandon Gormley waiting for their chance in the AHL.
- Nine slopes just means it gets really tough and tight. But I can not do much more than to go over and play as well as I can, says David Rundblad.
- It will be a tough challenge, but I think it might be fine.
The talk about the KHL, there was no substance to it?
- I think so. I never talked with a few clubs myself, but my agents had some contacts there. Personally, I had full focus on the NHL, so it was never serious.
It would have been interesting?
- Well, it's a good league and we should not pretend that there is good money, so it was an option. But my attitude was always to find a solution with Phoenix and we did. My agents never needed to spend time exploring the Russian interest.
"Glad to hear positive things"
During the last season played the previous Skelleftea hill just eight NHL games with the Phoenix Coyotes. One reason why it was not more lies partly in the lockout. When the league well started in January there was not much time for training camp, which helped many young players are not given the same opportunities to prove themselves.
- If it was disappointing that I only played eight games I do not know. It was a very strange season because of the lockout with different conditions. At the same time, I play very much in the AHL and went not too bad there, says Rundblad.
He accounted for 39 points (9 +30) in 50 games and had great confidence in the Portland Pirates of the law.
- I had to play short-handed, power play and all other situations. When you get so much playing time, and it goes well usually scores roll in, says David Rundblad who think he has evolved a lot over time in the farm team.
- There are many small details in the defense game that I have improved and developed. Then get more routine the more you play and as the man gets older you become stronger, faster and more comfortable on the ice. It helps.
Did you get any feedback from the Coyotes the following season?
- Yes, everybody has a closing conference with the club management. There, they said it was pleased that they found that I had played really well in Portland (AHL). Of course it was great to hear such positive things, but I can not take anything for granted for it. It's up to me whether I should play in the NHL.
Over the summer, David Rundblad trained in Skellefteå with Adam Larsson, Tim Erixon, Oscar Lindberg and a bunch of other players from the area who no longer have Skellefteå AIK club address. Already on Thursday wearing it however to North America. Rundblad should head to Calgary along with several other of talent in the Coyotes organization to work with physio Tommy Powers.
- We'll stay there a week before we go to Phoenix and continue to train there. It will be fun. Tommy was here in Sweden and drove with me and Oliver Ekman Larsson last year. He is very ambitious and comes with good advice. This will be a good last preparation for camp, round off David Rundblad.