Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Draft / Pick #28 - Nils Lundkvist (D)

[Kovalev27]

I would just leave him there let him simmer till he’s 21 or so. Has a bright future ahead.

 

[LaffyTaffy]

Let’s see what Luleå can do in the series.

Luleå was originally a classic industry city based around the steel plant. SSAB (Swedish Steel Ltd) pushed money into the team and the workers loved the team. It got better and better slowly but surely and eventually won the gold in 1996. Around those years the team was at the top of the SHL for many years.

But the industry got smaller and HQ moves to the south, the team started to become worse and worse. Sometimes a fan base kind of loses its momentum.

Then a few years ago a die hard Luleå fan decided to sell his life creation (the Minecraft game) and got a neat 2.7 Billion USD for it. Of course he pushed some coffee money into Luleå. They went for Gold with several pricy acquisitions but it didn’t work out.

Now they are on the backend of that, and don’t reallt should have the resources to compete. But they have done well.

What an interesting story, thank you for sharing this!

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Damn, that guy who passed it had all sorts of trouble handling the puck but still managed to get off a nice pass

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Close up from the moment Lundkvist scores his goal:

 

[kovazub94]

Didn’t see it mentioned but Lundkvist was also on the ice when Lulea cut the deficit to 2:3 while on PP and a goalie pulled for the 6th skater with only a couple of minutes left in the 3rd.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Didn’t see it mentioned but Lundkvist was also on the ice when Lulea cut the deficit to 2:3 while on PP and a goalie pulled for the 6th skater with only a couple of minutes left in the 3rd.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that but it was a good to see his coach trusts him in that situation.

FYI: You have a 1-in-238 chance at the moment for that puck

 

[RGY]

I would just leave him there let him simmer till he’s 21 or so. Has a bright future ahead.

His development/progression next year vs the rebuild and needs will determine when he comes over imo

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

His development/progression next year vs the rebuild and needs will determine when he comes over imo

Bring him over if you plan to use him in the NHL. Players who play in the KHL, Liiga and SHL shouldn't come over to be stuck in the AHL

 

[RGY]

Bring him over if you plan to use him in the NHL. Players who play in the KHL, Liiga and SHL shouldn't come over to be stuck in the AHL

I completely agree. And thats what I an saying. His time to come over will be determined by his progression vs the Rangers needs. If they feel they need him to fill a spot on blueline then he should be here after next season.

 

[Tawnos]

I completely agree. And thats what I an saying. His time to come over will be determined by his progression vs the Rangers needs. If they feel they need him to fill a spot on blueline then he should be here after next season.

I don't when it comes to the SHL and Liiga. The AHL isn't the awfulness that people portray it as.

It is basically on par with the SHL and likely above Liiga in terms of quality, but even if it we slightly below both of those, the benefits of conditioning and skill development being under team control would outweigh the quality difference. That's not even mentioning the adjustment to the N.A. game (not ice size, playing style).

The KHL is a different story. For one, it is definitively a better league than the AHL. For another, there's no transfer agreement so players under contract have to stay put anyway.

We all have different opinions on this, but I can't help but feel like @Amazing Kreiderman only wants players to stay in Europe so he can sta... I mean go watch them play.

 

[cwede]

... Players who play in the KHL, Liiga and SHL shouldn't come over to be stuck in the AHL

he is only 19 next season, so i agree there is no need to rush him over next season

but I cannot always agree with your blanket statement above,
There is value in getting adapted playing on narrow-rink, playing narrow-rink hockey, and to the NA-style physical game.
To me, AHL-time is still a key part of the process of developing NHL-ready overall game for most players.

Over the last few years, there is growing opinion that AHL is the wrong place for Euro-trained prospects to continue their development. I am not convinced yet.

But i am admittedly old-school.
my other favored sport is baseball, where prospects spend year after year climbing the ladder of numerous levels of minor pro.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

he is only 19 next season, so i agree there is no need to rush him over next season

but I cannot always agree with your blanket statement above,
There is value in getting adapted playing on narrow-rink, playing narrow-rink hockey, and to the NA-style physical game.
To me, AHL-time is still a key part of the process of developing NHL-ready overall game for most players.

Over the last few years, there is growing opinion that AHL is the wrong place for Euro-trained prospects to continue their development. I am not convinced yet.

But i am admittedly old-school.
my other favored sport is baseball, where prospects spend year after year climbing the ladder of numerous levels of minor pro.

Playing 3 games in 3 days is not beneficial for the development of prospects

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

No reason to rush him. Leave him in the SHL for another year or two, then bring him over.

The team isn't in a particularly tough spot where they need him here. In a couple years, we'll have a better idea of the D prospects in the system, and if he needs to play in Hartford, I would assume they'll be less of a dumpster fire, and more room

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

I don't when it comes to the SHL and Liiga. The AHL isn't the awfulness that people portray it as.

It is basically on par with the SHL and likely above Liiga in terms of quality, but even if it we slightly below both of those, the benefits of conditioning and skill development being under team control would outweigh the quality difference. That's not even mentioning the adjustment to the N.A. game (not ice size, playing style).

The KHL is a different story. For one, it is definitively a better league than the AHL. For another, there's no transfer agreement so players under contract have to stay put anyway.

We all have different opinions on this, but I can't help but feel like @Amazing Kreiderman only wants players to stay in Europe so he can sta... I mean go watch them play.

There's a difference getting a player over to play in the AHL and getting a player over to play in Hartford Wolf Pack... Pack is a disaster and has been for years now, i don't want skilled prospects to go there at all until the club is fixed. They do a good job churning out grinders but the amount of skilled prospects actually getting better offensively down there are easy to Count.

 

[Tawnos]

There's a difference getting a player over to play in the AHL and getting a player over to play in Hartford Wolf Pack... Pack is a disaster and has been for years now, i don't want skilled prospects to go there at all until the club is fixed. They do a good job churning out grinders but the amount of skilled prospects actually getting better offensively down there are easy to Count.

Fair enough, but if you think about this from the team's perspective, there's no way they view Hartford in the same way you do. Yeah, I'm sure they think it could stand some improvement, but at the same time it's not like they've had much in the way of skilled prospects down there.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I don't when it comes to the SHL and Liiga. The AHL isn't the awfulness that people portray it as.

It is basically on par with the SHL and likely above Liiga in terms of quality, but even if it we slightly below both of those, the benefits of conditioning and skill development being under team control would outweigh the quality difference. That's not even mentioning the adjustment to the N.A. game (not ice size, playing style).

The KHL is a different story. For one, it is definitively a better league than the AHL. For another, there's no transfer agreement so players under contract have to stay put anyway.

We all have different opinions on this, but I can't help but feel like @Amazing Kreiderman only wants players to stay in Europe so he can sta... I mean go watch them play.

Hahaha. I like the way you think. But no, I was on board with Chytil moving to NA to paly in the AHL because he came from an inferior league. If a player is in the DEL, NL, EBEL or CZEL I want him to come over and play in the AHL but if the player is in the SHL, KHL or Liiga I do not see the point of them moving to play in a league which is, at best, on par

 

[duhmetreE]

The 2018 First Round looks to be an absolute gem

 

[Ola]

In the other qualification final to the SHL IK Oskarshamn — GMd by one of my best friends during my childhood — stood for one of the bigger upsets ever in Swedish hockey when they defeated Timrå to take them to the SHL. Last year was his first as a GM for that team, they were one of the biggest positive surprises during the season, and did great despite struggling financially. So they lost a ton of players — for example ALL defensemen — during the summer. My friend had to acquire no less than 22 new guys before this season and everyone thought they would be demoted, instead they did something that should be extremely extremely hard and won a promotion to the SHL. The SHL teams have at least a 6-7m USD budget, IKO around 1m.

When I was a kid all friends always met up a couple of times per or as many times our schedule allowed to “party”. 10-15 guys, litterary never any girls, and all we did was having fierce discussions about hockey. Fist fights could break out on topics like ‘who is the best player born in 83’?’ You had to study during the week to keep up.

In his 30s he is skating 8s around all other GMs at that level, knowing every player at every relevant level, making the right calls. Hard work and knowledge, a clear understanding of what is needed, will work.

If you feel that the head coach might be a bit stiff for a young squad as GM, then you hire this guy part of your staff (from 20 sec in):





Do you think he will loosen up the atmosphere and get a young squad to rally around the staff? Brilliance on all levels!!!

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

First time since 2013 we have 2 teams promoted in the same season

 

[Ola]

First time since 2013 we have 2 teams promoted in the same season

Yeah, the pressure is killing the SHL teams. When they implemented this system -- they being the SHL teams -- it was to design a system that made it impossible for the Allsvenskan teams to be promoted to the SHL. They play a really long road to get to that best of 7 series, and the SHL teams should have the depth to to win over 7 games. Before it was a straight series with the top 4 Allsvenskan team playing the bottom 2 SHL teams. The SHL teams felt that like they could lose one game against a team with so much on the line, but over 7 games they could adjust and come out on top.

But these games mean so extremely much. A team's budget is reduced by 80% over night. Like we would go from 80m to 16m over night. A lot less money for everyone...

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Yeah, the pressure is killing the SHL teams. When they implemented this system -- they being the SHL teams -- it was to design a system that made it impossible for the Allsvenskan teams to be promoted to the SHL. They play a really long road to get to that best of 7 series, and the SHL teams should have the depth to to win over 7 games. Before it was a straight series with the top 4 Allsvenskan team playing the bottom 2 SHL teams. The SHL teams felt that like they could lose one game against a team with so much on the line, but over 7 games they could adjust and come out on top.

But these games mean so extremely much. A team's budget is reduced by 80% over night. Like we would go from 80m to 16m over night. A lot less money for everyone...

True but I don't think a team like Leksands, Mora or Timrå drastically increases its budget long term straight after promotion to SHL. That could get them into serious financial trouble

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

True but I don't think a team like Leksands, Mora or Timrå drastically increases its budget long term straight after promotion to SHL. That could get them into serious financial trouble

Timrå has been on the edge of financial ruin several times in the last 10-15 years.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Timrå has been on the edge of financial ruin several times in the last 10-15 years.

Damn. That's some bad management then

 

[Kovalev27]

Kid should stay there not even 19 yet. I wouldn’t touch him for at least 2 maybe even 3 more seasons let him simmer and come over for his age 21 or 22 season.

 

[Barnaby]

The kid should stay for another season, if not two more. It's probably better for his personal development, and will very possibly give us a better return on the investment. It's not as if rushing him over will make any dramatic difference on the Rangers next season.

I'm not sure that rushing over guys like Kovacs and LA will do anyone any favors long term.