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WJC: 2016 — Sweden Roster Talk

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Vejdemo continues to be hot of late as he picked up an assist today, now has 9 points in his last 13 games. I assume he makes Team Sweden, just hope he can carry over his improved play.
 
Statsy said:
Just got my annual WJC Preview from The Hockey News. I was looking for some additional info on Team Sweden and curious to see what delicious nuggets of insight they had in store for me. Uh, actually they just had a full page article on Oskar Lindblom and one quote from Gronberg. That's it. No other players were mentioned. What the hell, THN?! :rant:

Well, at least I still have the good people at HF Boards to provide some actual information.
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That's scanty lol. So many good junior Swedes playing in NA too right now you could make a story on..

This broadcasting schedule is better than expected. It looks like TV12 is picking up Viasat's games pretty much, but SVT is broadcasting a lot more games online that weren't shown previously.
 
Was really impressed with the team early on last tourney, considering the team didn't look THAT good heading into the tournament, but ended up being really disappointed after that semi-final performance, and that gutless Slovak game (probably the worst performance i've ever witnessed in the WJC from a Swede's perspective). In the end, i wasn't impressed with too many players on that team. Hopefully they'll do better this year, since there's a lot of returnees from that team. Nylander didn't impress at all last year (Leafs fans will say that he was 1st on the team in scoring), but obviously glad that he will be back since he's obviously a very talented player who has done really well in the AHL this year.

Excited to see Timashov, he should've made the team last year.
 
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Eternalize said:
Was really impressed with the team early on last tourney, considering the team didn't look THAT good heading into the tournament, but ended up being really disappointed after that semi-final performance, and that gutless Slovak game (probably the worst performance i've ever witnessed in the WJC from a Swede's perspective). In the end, i wasn't impressed with too many players on that team. Hopefully they'll do better this year, since there's a lot of returnees from that team. Nylander didn't impress at all last year (Leafs fans will say that he was 1st on the team in scoring), but obviously glad that he will be back since he's obviously a very talented player who has done really well in the AHL this year.

Excited to see Timashov, he should've made the team last year.
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Saying he didn't impress at all is a bit harsh. He was good offensively and in the transition. He left a lot wanting in the defensive zone and when defending the transition, but that's hardly a huge issue considering his role.

I'm glad you mention that few players impressed you last year, because what gave me a bad taste in the mouth from that tournament, both as a Leafs fan and a Swedish hockey fan, was how Nylander got all the blame for the whole line being bad defensively. There were also more focus from both experts and the people on him chewing his mouth guard, a nervous habit, than the other flaws of the team. A lot of players underperformed proportional to what they should be capable of, most of them didn't get called out for it. Leafs fans will know that I'm not a fan of scapegoating, and I felt like that was what happened with Nylander last year.

Unfortunately, it seems a lot of people are gearing up for the same sentiment this year.
 
Nithoniniel said:
Saying he didn't impress at all is a bit harsh. He was good offensively and in the transition. He left a lot wanting in the defensive zone and when defending the transition, but that's hardly a huge issue considering his role.

I'm glad you mention that few players impressed you last year, because what gave me a bad taste in the mouth from that tournament, both as a Leafs fan and a Swedish hockey fan, was how Nylander got all the blame for the whole line being bad defensively. There were also more focus from both experts and the people on him chewing his mouth guard, a nervous habit, than the other flaws of the team. A lot of players underperformed proportional to what they should be capable of, most of them didn't get called out for it. Leafs fans will know that I'm not a fan of scapegoating, and I felt like that was what happened with Nylander last year.

Unfortunately, it seems a lot of people are gearing up for the same sentiment this year.
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I think the reason why people put a lot of blame on Nylander is because heading into the tournament, he was basically Swedens "hope" to achieve something, Sweden was considered a big underdog and that hasn't really been the case the last few years, when we have been seen as favorites many times, and if not that, then at the very least contenders. And honestly, i didn't find Nylander impressive at all. Most of his points came of the PP, where Forslings shot and Holmstroms screening did most of the work. When the games started to matter, he was arguably our worst player considering the level he CAN play at. Felt like he wasn't even trying, and that's probably the general feeling Swedes had about him. Wasn't good against the Finns, wasn't good against the Russians, wasn't good against the Slovaks. He did pretty good against the lesser good teams though.
 
Tbf to Nylander last tournament his sole role was to go out and create offense.

Lindblom & Holmstrom on his line provided two guys who; while talented offensively in their own way, (I mean, they are arguably the two best SHL players their age or younger) are both good defensively, (heck, they were both PKing in moments that Sweden really needed them to, despite not always PKing in tourney.) great on the boards even against grown men, and can create havoc around a crease.

They were charged with taking the defensive responsibility and let Nylander 'off the leash' to create offense... and it worked decently.
 
Eternalize said:
I think the reason why people put a lot of blame on Nylander is because heading into the tournament, he was basically Swedens "hope" to achieve something, Sweden was considered a big underdog and that hasn't really been the case the last few years, when we have been seen as favorites many times, and if not that, then at the very least contenders. And honestly, i didn't find Nylander impressive at all. Most of his points came of the PP, where Forslings shot and Holmstroms screening did most of the work. When the games started to matter, he was arguably our worst player considering the level he CAN play at. Felt like he wasn't even trying, and that's probably the general feeling Swedes had about him. Wasn't good against the Finns, wasn't good against the Russians, wasn't good against the Slovaks. He did pretty good against the lesser good teams though.
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I don't quite agree, but mostly I feel like he was scapegoated. Did he deserve some blame? Sure, if someone necessarily should be blamed when the team does about as well as expected.

My issue would be that he gets all the blame, meanwhile guys like De La Rose, who was probably our most well established player, has equally bad tournaments yet escapes all criticism because not performing offensively is somehow fine, not having a great work ethic is not.

I mean, people are still talking crap about Nylander based on that tournament. It's a bit ridiculous.

I remember him being quite good in one of those games btw, think it was against the Russians.

Appleyard said:
Tbf to Nylander last tournament his sole role was to go out and create offense.

Lindblom & Holmstrom on his line provided two guys who; while talented offensively in their own way, (I mean, they are arguably the two best SHL players their age or younger) are both good defensively, (heck, they were both PKing in moments that Sweden really needed them to, despite not always PKing in tourney.) great on the boards even against grown men, and can create havoc around a crease.

They were charged with taking the defensive responsibility and let Nylander 'off the leash' to create offense... and it worked decently.
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I think coaching even said so, that Nylander was told to conserve himself for offense. Doesn't sound smart to me, but I remember something like that.

A lot of Leafs fans think Nylander was great that tournament. I thought he was at best decent at the time. I think the reason he got sent to AHL soon after was because they didn't quite like some tendencies he had in those games.

I just don't like blaming our offensively gifted players because of flaws in their game but not mention anything about some of our two-way guys being complete offensive no-shows. It became scapegoating, instead of a fair distribution of blame.
 
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Yeah, people tend to forget that the top line created ALL offense last year. You can't rely on a trio of 18-year olds to do it all, the problem was the severe lack of depth of that team and that 95 age group. I thought Holmström was the guy on that top line that slowed down the most in the medal rounds, definitely not Nylander.
 
Huffman said:
Yeah, people tend to forget that the top line created ALL offense last year. You can't rely on a trio of 18-year olds to do it all, the problem was the severe lack of depth of that team and that 95 age group. I thought Holmström was the guy on that top line that slowed down the most in the medal rounds, definitely not Nylander.
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Yeh, Holmström is a darn good player, and I think almost certainly has an NHL future of some kind, but towards the end of the tournament he looked a step behind really.

And yeh, the fact that three guys who were drafted only 6 months earlier (2/3 in the 5th round or later) carried the team offensively was a far bigger problem than them going missing for a game or two... when they were not scoring (despite the opponents putting their best players on them) it was rare anyone else got it done.

This year should ofc be better in that regard. The team should have scoring from more than one line.
 
Nithoniniel said:
I don't quite agree, but mostly I feel like he was scapegoated. Did he deserve some blame? Sure, if someone necessarily should be blamed when the team does about as well as expected.

My issue would be that he gets all the blame, meanwhile guys like De La Rose, who was probably our most well established player, has equally bad tournaments yet escapes all criticism because not performing offensively is somehow fine, not having a great work ethic is not.

I mean, people are still talking crap about Nylander based on that tournament. It's a bit ridiculous.

I remember him being quite good in one of those games btw, think it was against the Russians.
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The team was by no means perfect. But for me, Nylander was basically the image of the team. If someone would've asked me last year in the playoffs how bad Sweden was playing, and i could only answer the question with one single word, then i would simply just say Nylander. He was just trying way too hard (maybe he felt the pressure of the Toronto audience?) you could often see him miss the puck when he was about to shoot/pass, and he was often completely invisible in the playoff games. That's what i felt about the team. The players who was gonna "do it" for Sweden just couldn't, they choked and you never got the feeling that there was any "heart and soul".

I don't normally think that everything is complete ****, but man that tournament was ugly, it was embarassing to watch.

Well he definitely wasn't good in the Semi-final game at least, maybe in the groupstage, but that's not what i remember.

Huffman said:
Yeah, people tend to forget that the top line created ALL offense last year. You can't rely on a trio of 18-year olds to do it all, the problem was the severe lack of depth of that team and that 95 age group. I thought Holmström was the guy on that top line that slowed down the most in the medal rounds, definitely not Nylander.
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I disagree. If you look back at statistics, you will find players like Kempe and Wallmark at 8 and 6 points respectively. I would say that's good enough for a 2nd line. Also felt like some other players stepped up, Jens Lööke was one of the few players that actually impressed me that tournament.
 
Eternalize said:
I disagree. If you look back at statistics, you will find players like Kempe and Wallmark at 8 and 6 points respectively. I would say that's good enough for a 2nd line. Also felt like some other players stepped up, Jens Lööke was one of the few players that actually impressed me that tournament.
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Kempe got almost all of his points in the tournament on the PP playing with the Nylander line + Forsling.

And how could Nylander possibly hve been invisible in the playoff games when he was named the player of the game in one of them?

 
nelsojc said:
Where is this rule stated?
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if he's in the AHL and he wants to play, then they have to release him. If he's on the NHL roster, then they don't have to release him. That's the rule.

And the rule is in the NHL transfer agreement with European Federations.
 
Mr Writer said:
if he's in the AHL and he wants to play, then they have to release him. If he's on the NHL roster, then they don't have to release him. That's the rule.

And the rule is in the NHL transfer agreement with European Federations.
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Yes but there are obviously ways around that if they choose not to send him.
 
Kapanen isn't exactly Finland best player, he likely needs the extra week practicing with the team, figuring out where they're going to slot him in the lineup. Nylander meanwhile Sweden can slot right into their top line. And Nylander is more important to the Marlies, combining those things is why Kapanen was likely released this weekend and they're holding off on Nylander until next.

I'd say it's almost certain he goes, it's just one of those, keep him back, you never know, gives up the possibility to change our minds in the unlikely case we do. But that likely won't happen.

If the Leafs were adament about him not going then Nylander would likely side with them and do whatever the team thinks is best for him so he'd probably stay in the AHL and say he doesn't want to go. Most players do what the team thinks is best for them.

I'd say it's 99% likely that he goes. I mean if they had any plans on calling him up, or them really not wanting him to go we wouldn't have got the report that he was going over a week ago.
 
Huffman said:
Kempe got almost all of his points in the tournament on the PP playing with the Nylander line + Forsling.

And how could Nylander possibly hve been invisible in the playoff games when he was named the player of the game in one of them?

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I honestly don't think this needs much of an explanation. I recall this, though i don't remember which specific game it was. But nevertheless, he wasn't the best player in that game for sure. But, since the games were played in Toronto, who were heavily rooting for this guy, it was an easy choice to make. Politics. Great salute to the fans.
 
Eternalize said:
I honestly don't think this needs much of an explanation. I recall this, though i don't remember which specific game it was. But nevertheless, he wasn't the best player in that game for sure. But, since the games were played in Toronto, who were heavily rooting for this guy, it was an easy choice to make. Politics. Great salute to the fans.
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The award was handed out by the team staff. Nylander was not invisible in that game.
 
Eternalize said:
I honestly don't think this needs much of an explanation. I recall this, though i don't remember which specific game it was. But nevertheless, he wasn't the best player in that game for sure. But, since the games were played in Toronto, who were heavily rooting for this guy, it was an easy choice to make. Politics. Great salute to the fans.
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Or and I know this might sound crazy to you, he played well.
 
Huffman said:
The award was handed out by the team staff. Nylander was not invisible in that game.
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Wasn't he? Ask most of the people who watched that game and you will get a different answer. You should also notice how that highlight package of yours (that you decided to link for some reason?) mostly contains "highlights" against the lesser good teams. It also contains the pre-tourney game against Canada (why?), though i will admit that he was good that game. Shame that the game didn't really mean anything.
 
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