Näslund pulls out of team Sweden

[SChan*]

and you are surprised? the NHL wants (needs) a USA-Canada final, and Canada must take the gold.

yeah marketing vise a Canada vs USA finals is a dream for the media since it would get very high ratings. The ESPN article that Forsberg should stay home as well disgusted me.

 

[DayWalk3r]

no he was invincible in MoDo as well. Forsberg was the only one that played great in MoDo though he was injured.

You calling 17 points in 13 games invincible?

 

[shawn_kemp*]

he meant "invisible"

 

[Jazz]

who are you, and why the common sense?


but seriously, it's ironic that the star players get pressured to stay home instead of going. the NHL was the one that agreed to this olympic deal.

Haha, who am I - a hockey fan!

Yes - the problem is that GMs like Bob Clarke are short-sighted and only think about the short-term. The piont of this tournament is to expose the game to a global audience, and the potential gain from this is greater than a couple of points in the standings.

Anahiem GM Brian Burke has it right - he has given Scott Niedermayer the option of what to do (ie, his sore knee).

Unfortunately, Burke is in the minority.

 

[Holly Golightly]

...but seriously, it's ironic that the star players get pressured to stay home instead of going. the NHL was the one that agreed to this olympic deal.

Well maybe, just maybe, some of us can all agree on at least one thing..... that a few in the NHL drank from the fountain of knowledge, while others only gargled. Dare I suggest that when the next round of CBA negotiations come upon the NHL and the NHLPA, that this be a topic of discussion AND agreement...from both sides. I don't think it is fair for some to say "Hey, sure, you guys can play in the Olympics! Sure, what the h*ll. Bring us back a cheesy T-Shirt!" and then turn around and say "Well, I don't care if you go or you go, but YOU, oh no, we would rather you not go."

 

[helicecopter]

Well maybe, just maybe, some of us can all agree on at least one thing..... that a few in the NHL drank from the fountain of knowledge, while others only gargled. Dare I suggest that when the next round of CBA negotiations come upon the NHL and the NHLPA, that this be a topic of discussion AND agreement...from both sides. I don't think it is fair for some to say "Hey, sure, you guys can play in the Olympics! Sure, what the h*ll. Bring us back a cheesy T-Shirt!" and then turn around and say "Well, I don't care if you go or you go, but YOU, oh no, we would rather you not go."

wait.....


not going to happen, the next Olympics are in Vancouver..

 

[Kronblom]

You calling 17 points in 13 games invincible?

He was "alright" during the regular season but sucked big time in the playoffs, injured or not.

 

[yarre]

Hmms, don't know really what to think, I really wanted to have Holmström on the original roster so I think it is excellent that he is the replacement but I wanted to see what Näslund could do if he got a decent chance but I won't cry much blood over this one, if it had been Alfredsson, Zetterberg or Forsberg I would have been more upset.

 

[larsmark]

You calling 17 points in 13 games invincible?

Yes, as SectionX said he was okay during the regular season but in the playoffs he was as invisible as a fourth line center in the SWEDISH ELITE LEAUGE. It was amazing that such a huge player in the NHL could just totally dissapear in the playoffs...it wasn't just bad luck it was such poor play from him that one could really cry.

Forsberg wasn't great either in the SEL, not compared to what he can do healthy but still would have won the scoring title if he didn't get his hand broken.

About Homer he should have been in the team from the beginning. About Näslund I feel splitted. Since he wasn't playing ok in Canucks because of the injury and his previous tournaments in the national team (only one really good one, that is 1999 worlds) it was better off for him, otherwise he would have gotten bashed again if not producing. Still we lose one of the best snipers in the NHL...but as someone said to me after I had tried to protect him that 3 goals in the last 11 games in the national team is bad for a guy of his calibre.

I just hope Forsberg doesn't say no cuz in that case we're ******.

 

[SChan*]

I just hope Forsberg doesn't say no cuz in that case we're ******.

the flyers newspapers dont give up their whining though. It will be a battle to the goalline.

 

[Holly Golightly]

wait.....


not going to happen, the next Olympics are in Vancouver..

Ahhhh crap!! I forgot about that little tid bit.

OK, so maybe in 2014. Yeah, 2014, which means they actually have a little time to iron out all the little details!

 

[Rover*]

Can't really blame naslund since he gets no respect in sweden, so they'd rip him even more if he played badly while hurt.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=edb9eee0-da08-48ae-be25-94a33a93571f

Naslund added: "We've got passionate fans back there. I'm sure it will be tough news to take. But I feel strongly that I had to listen to my body."

Naslund already has a strange relationship with the fans and media back home, admits his regular centre, Brendan Morrison. Morrison played in Sweden during the lockout.

"I couldn't believe it," said Morrison. "Swedes talks about their top guys and it was like Forsberg, Sundin, Lidstrom and maybe Alfredsson. I'd look at them and shake my head, because I think Naslund is one of the three best guys in the league. For whatever reason, he doesn't get that respect there."

Naslund has been bothered by his groin and his hip for several weeks, and he and the team training staff have had limited success trying to treat it.

He sat out Saturday's game in Colorado, but was in the line-up for Tuesday's triumph in Phoenix. His plan is to play the Canucks games up until the break and try to take some practice days off.

"I think the thing that affects me the most is my stride -- not being able to get those first quick couple of steps," Naslund explained, "and hopefully make a little room for myself to make plays. I find that's been the frustrating part.

"It's been the same [over the past few weeks]. The tough thing is that I haven't felt it get better."

 

[SChan*]

Can't really blame naslund since he gets no respect in sweden, so they'd rip him even more if he played badly while hurt.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=edb9eee0-da08-48ae-be25-94a33a93571f

Naslund added: "We've got passionate fans back there. I'm sure it will be tough news to take. But I feel strongly that I had to listen to my body."

Naslund already has a strange relationship with the fans and media back home, admits his regular centre, Brendan Morrison. Morrison played in Sweden during the lockout.

"I couldn't believe it," said Morrison. "Swedes talks about their top guys and it was like Forsberg, Sundin, Lidstrom and maybe Alfredsson. I'd look at them and shake my head, because I think Naslund is one of the three best guys in the league. For whatever reason, he doesn't get that respect there."

Naslund has been bothered by his groin and his hip for several weeks, and he and the team training staff have had limited success trying to treat it.

He sat out Saturday's game in Colorado, but was in the line-up for Tuesday's triumph in Phoenix. His plan is to play the Canucks games up until the break and try to take some practice days off.

"I think the thing that affects me the most is my stride -- not being able to get those first quick couple of steps," Naslund explained, "and hopefully make a little room for myself to make plays. I find that's been the frustrating part.

"It's been the same [over the past few weeks]. The tough thing is that I haven't felt it get better."

look I don't give a damn what you canadians think, but if you think team sweden's chances fall with naslund you are very wrong. This is the same guy that has less NHL playoff points and goals than his replacement Tomas Holmstrom. Holmstrom was the only swede that did ok in world cup too.

 

[Riddarn]

look I don't give a damn what you canadians think, but if you think team sweden's chances fall with naslund you are very wrong. This is the same guy that has less NHL playoff points and goals than his replacement Tomas Holmstrom. Holmstrom was the only swede that did ok in world cup too.

Modin, Sundin and Alfie did pretty well too. However, it's easy to forget. I remember mostly three things from the World Cup. First, Foppa with the never-ending whining about his ankles and his bad skates. Second, how utterly useless the Näslund-Forsberg-Zetterberg line was defensively. Third, the quarter final versus the Czechs.

The royal pounding the Czechs gave us is what finally made me give up hope for this bunch. Unless Henrik Lundqvist plays like a god, this team won't win anything and it has nothing to do with if Näslund or Forsberg plays or not. No team that has a realistic shot at winning can depend on just a few individuals like that.

 

[SChan*]

Modin, Sundin and Alfie did pretty well too. However, it's easy to forget. I remember mostly three things from the World Cup. First, Foppa with the never-ending whining about his ankles and his bad skates. Second, how utterly useless the Näslund-Forsberg-Zetterberg line was defensively. Third, the quarter final versus the Czechs.

That line was worthless, and yet the swedish papers want to see Forsberg with Zetterberg again. I just don't get it. I wish I had their jobs getting payed for blogging about stuff they don't understand.

The royal pounding the Czechs gave us is what finally made me give up hope for this bunch. Unless Henrik Lundqvist plays like a god, this team won't win anything

Tellqvist was in goal in world cup, enough said. This is the same guy that couldn't stop bathball if his life depended on it. Look at him, when he finally got the big chance of being Toronto's first keeper this seaons he let in 4 goals in 15 shots two matches in a row.

and it has nothing to do with if Näslund or Forsberg plays or not. No team that has a realistic shot at winning can depend on just a few individuals like that.

funny that you say that when countries like canada and czech rep dephend on their superstars in crucial games. (etc Jagr)

I think that every team need superstars in order to win the even games, while the rest of the match is a teameffort.

 

[Kiefer]

Christ almighty, I can't believe all the crap I'm reading about Nazzy and the "not performing on the national team". Last time he was really good in the pre-tournament games. For fecks sake look at the lines before and during the tournaments. Why the hell did he score on the pre-tournament games and not so much after that?

Bad nerves? I don't think so. Major reason imo is that he got thrown into a new line, that had no chemistry. It doesn't matter that Forsberg struggled and lost the puck alot in the offensive zone. That can all be blamed on Nazzy's poor play.

It seems like if someone likes Forsberg, they gotta bash Näslund. I've even heard fans say that the reason Forsberg was playing bad was that he was trying "to get Näslund going".

This is all utter ******** imo, Näslund is a worldclass player and any fan, especially swedish fans, that try to take that away from him, makes me sick.

 

[thenextone]

This is all utter ******** imo, Näslund is a worldclass player and any fan, especially swedish fans, that try to take that away from him, makes me sick.

Its ironic. In the past 5 years no one in the league has scored more points than Naslund. The so-called best league on the planet.

But he's considered a bum by his own people.

I agree his NHL success hasn't translated into national team success, but that doesn't make him a bad player.

Sweden fans seem a lot like Canucks fans...we seem to single out a single player to blame for the teams failures. Sweden has choked away the last 3 or 4 major tournaments its been in, its all Naslund's fault.

 

[guinness]

Its ironic. In the past 5 years no one in the league has scored more points than Naslund. The so-called best league on the planet.

But he's considered a bum by his own people.

I agree his NHL success hasn't translated into national team success, but that doesn't make him a bad player.

Sweden fans seem a lot like Canucks fans...we seem to single out a single player to blame for the teams failures. Sweden has choked away the last 3 or 4 major tournaments its been in, its all Naslund's fault.

It's not like he does anything in the playoffs though either, teams and players can rack up pretty stats in the regular season, but if they don't do anything when it really matters, in the end who cares? For example, the Red Wings have had great records the past couple of seasons, and Datsyuk and Zetterberg did pretty well, but come playoff time, they all folded like a deck of cards.

For Vancouver, I'm more impressed by the Sedins in the playoffs, not Naslund. Same went for them too, of what I could watch of Modo last year.

 

[SChan*]

Its ironic. In the past 5 years no one in the league has scored more points than Naslund. The so-called best league on the planet.

But he's considered a bum by his own people.

I agree his NHL success hasn't translated into national team success, but that doesn't make him a bad player.

Sweden fans seem a lot like Canucks fans...we seem to single out a single player to blame for the teams failures. Sweden has choked away the last 3 or 4 major tournaments its been in, its all Naslund's fault.

man did you watch MoDo last year? Forsberg was injured and Naslund didn't register a single goal in the first round playoffs for MoDo, and they was eliminated. I never seen a superstar player that invisible. Naslund simply crack under pressure.

Is Naslund a loss for sweden? Yes he is. Is it a fall for the dream of gold? Not as long as Forsberg comes as he performs everywhere.

 

[mattihp]

I think Sweden will be fine without Naslund. Holmstrom should have absolutely been on the team anyway. But losing Forsberg...that would be brutal.

Losing Sundin or Norström would be more brutal

 

[helicecopter]

Losing Sundin or Norström would be more brutal

 

[Fighter]

So I will miss another superstar, damn it!

 

[thenextone]

It's not like he does anything in the playoffs though either, teams and players can rack up pretty stats in the regular season, but if they don't do anything when it really matters, in the end who cares? For example, the Red Wings have had great records the past couple of seasons, and Datsyuk and Zetterberg did pretty well, but come playoff time, they all folded like a deck of cards.

For Vancouver, I'm more impressed by the Sedins in the playoffs, not Naslund. Same went for them too, of what I could watch of Modo last year.

I think he had 9 pts in 7 games last playoffs on a broken elbow

he had 14 pts in 14 games the previous playoff - basically willing the team past St Louis when we were down 3-1.

He hasnt set the league on fire in the post season but the whole team has been underwhelming in April and May.

As for MoDo, I could give a rats butt what he does in the SEL. Do you honestly expect a player to join a new club and new league in December and then tear it up after not playing for months?

Im glad he played in Sweden because his experience there changed his views on returning home (his own words). After the SEL he knew where he wanted to play, the NHL and then signed a 3 year deal in Vancouver when many thought he was going to retire.