Prospect Info: Nils Lundkvist: Part III

[Reway10]

He is on first pairing. Game starts 19.00

I'll watch the game, also gonna keep an eye on older Pettersson, he's apparently pretty good too...

 

[Reway10]

Nils just scored on PP to make it 1-1!

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

 

[BBKers]

What a rocket

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

The in NHL is in good hands once Ovi retires

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Dude has a rifle

 

[Reway10]

He just hit the post with another PP rocket.

 

[Eye of Ra]

He was good all game. Should be a serious contender for one of the d spots in World Champions later in May.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Lol his highlight reel looks the same as Ovechkin’s. Love it.

 

[True Blue]

He was good all game. Should be a serious contender for one of the d spots in World Champions later in May.

Unless he passes on them and signs to play with the Rangers

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Unless he passes on them and signs to play with the Rangers

It's not his decision to make.

 

[True Blue]

It's not his decision to make.

Explain please. I was under the impression that he cannot leave while the season is going on. Once the SEL season is over, he can sign with the Rangers but forgoes going to WC. Am I wrong?

 

[kovazub94]

Lol his highlight reel looks the same as Ovechkin’s. Love it.

Since I hear he's too small for our D let's convert him to LW. No good?

 

[True Blue]

Since I hear he's too small for our D let's convert him to LW. No good?

The point is not his size per se, but the way that I just see Gorton and JD constructing the team and how the overall defense is built. That is what makes me believe that the idea of having two smallish defenders on one side is not what they are looking for.

I am not trying to move Lundkvist. For one thing, he would instantly alter the PP by being able to blast it from the point, something that has been missing for quite a while. And he defends well. BUT, I just do not see one side of the ice in the playoffs being covered by him and Fox. I could be completely wrong, but right now I think that the right side's future is Trouba, Fox and Schneider.

 

[Ola]

The point is not his size per se, but the way that I just see Gorton and JD constructing the team and how the overall defense is built. That is what makes me believe that the idea of having two smallish defenders on one side is not what they are looking for.

I am not trying to move Lundkvist. For one thing, he would instantly alter the PP by being able to blast it from the point, something that has been missing for quite a while. And he defends well. BUT, I just do not see one side of the ice in the playoffs being covered by him and Fox. I could be completely wrong, but right now I think that the right side's future is Trouba, Fox and Schneider.

There will be very solid competition between Nils and Schneider next season.

And I agree with your observation and I also have nothing against Gorton and JD trying to beef up our blueline. Nobody is saying that you can't have 2 maybe even 3 smaller Ds, but size and ability to clear the crease is definitely valuable when defending.

With that said, if we are going to focus as much on limiting mistakes as we are under Quinn, we must have more of an offensive punch from the blueline. I think Fox has been fantastic, but like we create very little when he isn't on the ice. And imagine if he is injured.

It is always about having the right mix.

 

[kovazub94]

The point is not his size per se, but the way that I just see Gorton and JD constructing the team and how the overall defense is built. That is what makes me believe that the idea of having two smallish defenders on one side is not what they are looking for.

I am not trying to move Lundkvist. For one thing, he would instantly alter the PP by being able to blast it from the point, something that has been missing for quite a while. And he defends well. BUT, I just do not see one side of the ice in the playoffs being covered by him and Fox. I could be completely wrong, but right now I think that the right side's future is Trouba, Fox and Schneider.

Fox is solid defender despite his size. ADA wasn't. Whether Lundkvist gains a spot (over Schneider for example) will be based on how well he plays in his own end. Pair him up with someone like Robertson and I'd have no concerns with having size on this pair.

Next year at least one but likely both of Schneider or Lundkvist will be with Hartford (except for maybe a cup of tea) - would be unreasonable to expect BOTH to be able to be with Ranger. Likely it will be two season after this that both will be up and down between NY and Hartford. That will be 4 years into Trouba's contract. If things work out perfectly with both prospects maybe it will be time to move the vet and his $8m off the team but there are a lot of things that could happen between now and then.

 

[True Blue]

With that said, if we are going to focus as much on limiting mistakes as we are under Quinn, we must have more of an offensive punch from the blueline. I think Fox has been fantastic, but like we create very little when he isn't on the ice. And imagine if he is injured.

It is always about having the right mix.

It is. And there is where it is going to get interesting. Fox can be a driver, but do we need drivers from the D or those that can simply make for a good breakout pass to spring the wings? There is also Jones. With the seeming emergence of Miller, it seems that the competition will be Lundkvist vs. Schneider and Robertson vs. Jones. In no scenario to I envision half of the defense being Fox, Lundkvist & Jones.

Just the fact that we are even discussing the possibility of having 5 home grown defensemen is amazing.

 

[True Blue]

Next year at least one but likely both of Schneider or Lundkvist will be with Hartford (except for maybe a cup of tea) - would be unreasonable to expect BOTH to be able to be with Ranger. Likely it will be two season after this that both will be up and down between NY and Hartford. That will be 4 years into Trouba's contract. If things work out perfectly with both prospects maybe it will be time to move the vet and his $8m off the team but there are a lot of things that could happen between now and then.

Trying to project out that far is not an exercise that I can manage. If I had to bet, it would be that Schneider and Lundkvist are battling it out in camp. I would have thought that the former is Hartford bound (and he still could be) but the early returns on his current play there make me think that he is coming to camp looking for a spot.

 

[Rangers in 7]

I don’t see the big deal with playing smaller defensemen. If they are good enough they play. Simple as that

 

[kovazub94]

Trying to project out that far is not an exercise that I can manage. If I had to bet, it would be that Schneider and Lundkvist are battling it out in camp. I would have thought that the former is Hartford bound (and he still could be) but the early returns on his current play there make me think that he is coming to camp looking for a spot.

This is exactly my point - trying to project right now (e.g. "Lundkvist will be moved" or "Lindgren will be moved", or "Trouba should not have been signed because we have Lundkvist and Schneider coming up" etc ) is an exercise in futility.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Explain please. I was under the impression that he cannot leave while the season is going on. Once the SEL season is over, he can sign with the Rangers but forgoes going to WC. Am I wrong?

He is under contract with the national team (Swedish federation) until June 30th and with Luleå (club) until May 31st. Unless he is released, he cannot sign his ELC earlier.

It's not a huge obstacle, and 9 out of 10 times a player is granted his wish to be released from his contract, but if Lundkvist is a serious candidate to make the team for the WC, he'd be a fool to request a release instead of playing there.

 

[romba]

Explain please. I was under the impression that he cannot leave while the season is going on. Once the SEL season is over, he can sign with the Rangers but forgoes going to WC. Am I wrong?

We should post this as an announcement somewhere but:

Nils Lundkvist is contracted to both Luleå and the Swedish ice hockey federation as he is a national team player.

The SHL play offs end mid-May, but the international hockey calendar runs through to mid-June. With the NHL in full swing around the time of the World Championships, Lundkvist is a serious candidate to make the Swedish national team.

If that's the case, he will be playing hockey until mid-June and under contract until June 30th. For Lundkvist to move to NA before that, he would have to be released by both club and country.

I got this information from the PR manager of Luleå who I talk to regularly.

edit: he beat me to it

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

edit: he beat me to it

Thanks haha.

 

[romba]

he'd be a fool to request a release instead of playing there.

I know international competition is huge for European born players and it would be a great opportunity for him against higher level competition. But with Tony D out of the picture, our d in shambles, and Miller showing rookie D might be given a bit of rope, he might have strong incentive to come over this season before the other guys on the doorstep come in next season to compete for the same spot with him.

There's one thing NHL coaches appreciate more than North-South hockey and finishing your check (kidding there actually isn't anything lol), and that's NHL level samples showing you're not a defensive liability. If Lundqvist can show he's not a liability this year he's practically a shoe in for next year then. Miller showed in Covid Camp last year that he can more than hang with the big boys, Howden showed he's a net 0, his crappy offense is matched with a 'no turnover' defense, so he gets rope as well. Kakko showed he was a turn over machine last year and he was very limited in playing time. This year he's improved his D and now is given more time because of it giving him space to shine a little brighter and he will likely get some PP time too (if he can manage to not turn it over on the offensive blue line on his first opportunity again like last game jfc). Laf has shown that he also doesn't turn it over too much and he's getting rewarded with more ice time than Kakko last year, which most assuredly will go up throughout the season as he continues to acclimate the the NHL pace.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I know international competition is huge for European born players and it would be a great opportunity for him against higher level competition. But with Tony D out of the picture, our d in shambles, and Miller showing rookie D might be given a bit of rope, he might have strong incentive to come over this season before the other guys on the doorstep come in next season to compete for the same spot with him.

There's one thing NHL coaches appreciate more than North-South hockey and finishing your check (kidding there actually isn't anything lol), and that's NHL level samples showing you're not a defensive liability. If Lundqvist can show he's not a liability this year he's practically a shoe in for next year then. Miller showed in Covid Camp last year that he can more than hang with the big boys, Howden showed he's a net 0, his crappy offense is matched with a 'no turnover' defense, so he gets rope as well. Kakko showed he was a turn over machine last year and he was very limited in playing time. This year he's improved his D and now is given more time because of it giving him space to shine a little brighter and he will likely get some PP time too (if he can manage to not turn it over on the offensive blue line on his first opportunity again like last game jfc). Laf has shown that he also doesn't turn it over too much and he's getting rewarded with more ice time than Kakko last year, which most assuredly will go up throughout the season as he continues to acclimate the the NHL pace.

Are the Rangers willing to burn a year off his ELC to have him play a handful of games? That is something that can persuade Lundkvist. That's the leverage he has. It takes him to RFA status in 2023 instead of 2024 in that case.