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Confirmed with Link: Rangers sign Malte Stromwall

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It's always nice to see a player being picked up by your team after noticing him yourself, Ola. I remember last year Joey Bones and I were talking about Brad Morrison and it just made us all tingly when we saw him being picked in the draft.

I don't expect any miracles from Stromwall, but it's nice to get some young guys with upside. If we add enough prospects to our farm-team, eventually one of two will make it.
 
Interesting signing of a Guy with a lot of potential upside that apparently can do anything he likes With a hockey puck when things are going well. Great wheels, release and somewhat of a wizard on the ice at times. Quite the ? When it comes to consistency, defensive NA play and overall effort (will also take bad hot headed penalties at times) but an intriguing signing. Can play somewhat physical though being a tad under six feet tall. Good job by the management IMO even if it is a bit of a swing for the fences. More of these please. Restock the cabinet.

A little anecdotal tidbit is that I know the guy very well who hired and fired his father (Johan Strömwall - quite a good player in Europe born 1964) as a coach in Sweden (SSK) at his last coaching job. Players like Anze Kopitar, David Pastrnak, William Nylander, Carl Hagelin, Nicklas Grossman and Jonathan Eriksson came through that organisation to the NHL as well. Small world
 
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I like this type of signing. Pretty cool Kovacs and one of his buds will get some AHL time together in the next year or so.

Question though, Allsvenskan counts shootout goals towards the overall goal total right? Do we know how many of his 25 goals were scored at 5v5 and/or on the powerplay?
 
Mac n Gs said:
I like this type of signing. Pretty cool Kovacs and one of his buds will get some AHL time together in the next year or so.

Question though, Allsvenskan counts shootout goals towards the overall goal total right? Do we know how many of his 25 goals were scored at 5v5 and/or on the powerplay?
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14 PP points (18th)
5 PP goals (25th)
9 PP assists (outside top25)
14.20 s% (19th)
6 Game winning goals (5th)
 
Might be better for Kovacs to play another year with AIK or move up to the SweHL. He had a few games with Rogle last year. Bringing him over to Hartford next season might be rushing him a bit. A lot of younger players struggle a lot when they hit the AHL. Tambellini would be an example of that this year. Stromwall will be 22 next year--that little extra maturity can help a lot.
 
found this from when he came to play Junior and was draft eligible

https://sports.yahoo.com/juniorhock...ll-tri-city-americans?urn=juniorhockey,wp9548

April 09, 2012

NHL draft tracker: Malte Strömwall, Tri-City Americans
By Neate Sager

NHL draft tracker: Malte Strömwall, Tri-City Americans
Malte Strömwall might define the term draft sleeper.
Each draft class includes a handful of young players with great finesse who perhaps fly under the radar since they're still adjusting to junior hockey and might fill a secondary role with their club. Strömwall, a native of Luleå, Sweden who was barely 17 years old when he started his first season with the Western Hockey League's Tri-City Americans this fall, qualifies on both counts. The undersized right wing has shown flashes, though, that he could step into a scoring role next season. The NHL interest in him could pick up at that point.
Strömwall posted 11 goals and 27 points in 64 games while helping the veteran-laden Americans win a tight Western Conference race over the Portland Winterhawks. The Ams are currently tied 1-1 with state rival Spokane in their conference semifinal.
"My season has been up and down, it's a new league for me and I'm playing with older and bigger guys," says Strömwall, who was 162nd among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings which were released on Monday. "The biggest adjustment must be the size of the rink. I'm used to holding the puck longer, but here you have to be really quick and take fast decisions. But I'm used to it now and I'm used to the league.
"I learned a lot this season. It has been a developing year this far. The team has played great so far and we're hoping for a long playoff run."
Part of putting Strömwall's season into perspective is remembering that he had adapt to both a new level of competition and a new culture this fall. He was also only 160 pounds at the start of the season, very small by WHL standards. Americans coach Jim Hiller says the forward has made excellent strides.
"Malte fit in seamlessly with the changes in culture," says Hiller, whose team evened their series with an overtime win on Saturday His complete focus is hockey. He struggled with strength earlier in the season but has added 14 pounds from training camp and that is paying dividends now."
The Americans will bid adieu 100-point scorers Patrick Holland, Adam Hughesman and Brendan Shinnimin, the Canadian Hockey League scoring champ, after this season. Strömwall will be at the head of the line to fill their roles.
"His [Strömwall's] best and most consistent hockey has been the first round of the playoffs," Hiller adds. "We expect that to continue and for him to be one of our top offensive players next season with expanded ice time."
1. Apart from the obvious such as skating and building strength, what skill or area of the game do you need to improve the most before you can play pro hockey?
"I'd have to say the defensive game, but i've improved it lots this season and it's getting better. I do have to get bigger, add some pounds and gain strength."
2. What is the biggest asset you bring to a team?
"I'm a fast skater with good hands and vision and I work really hard and makes good plays. I'll do what coach wants me to do."
3. Which NHL players do you watch closely for pointers or for skills you can add to your game?
"I like watching the St. Louis Blues' T.J. Oshie. He's a hardworking forward with good skills and scoring touch. He is strong and he hits hard."
4. I understand both your father and stepfather were pros in Sweden. What have they been like with advice?
"Yes that's true. It's been a great opportunity to ask them stuff and they helped me with anything I asked about. They say, work hard and have fun is the best thing for reaching success."
5. Who is the toughest defenceman you have faced so far in the Western Hockey League?
"I have to say Ryan Murray on the Everett Silvertips. He is big and strong and really smart. It's almost inpossible to beat him in a one-on-one situation."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports.
 
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Ola said:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/hockey/internationellt/nhl/article22619859.ab

Malte state that he will play in NA next season, ie not be loaned back to AIK.
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Makes sense, I doubt he signs a NHL contract at age 21 after a breakout year just to go back for another year. He's going to start his push to make the NHL not be trying to develop more in Sweden.

Good luck to him, the Rangers could certainly use another out of left field solid free agent player. Getting more prospects and talent into Hartford isn't bad either in the short term
 
Ola said:
I was a little surprised at first when we signed him. Here are some thoughts.

I think the biggest reason for why we signed this guy is that he is super ambitious in addition to being a great skater and having played in NA before. At worst he will at some point come to HFD and work harder than anyone else (of the ice at least) and help create a good environment in HFD.

His strength is his speed for sure and his ability to challenge Ds 1 on 1 and take the puck to the net.

The downside is that he is diminutive and pretty one dimensional. He is not the type who sets up shop on the PP nor is he much of a playmaker. Hence he scores few cheap goals. OTOH he is really good for sure in those 1 on 1 situation. I've also -- not yet -- seem him be able to assume a role of like a Marty Straka type, ie someone that really can help a scoring teammate out in especially the two way game. But he is still young.

Upside is probably roughly something like a Mikhail Grabovski type maybe.
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No such thing as "cheap" goals. They all count. ;)
 
Miamipuck said:
So if Fast is vanilla ice cream is this guy chocolate Malte?

Good signing in my opinion, nothing to lose at all.
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Yeah, it's a fun signing. What had me concerned at first is that he tackled off a lot during the year in Allsvenskan, only 8 goals the last 33 games (but decent points/game) and didn't produce in the qualification round (1 goal in 10 games). Compared to like Linus Hultstrom who I really liked but that seemed Florida bound, Malte does not have potential to like become a star in the NHL. He doesn't have that overall quality level. Someone like Hulstrom isn't a lock, but if he could add some pounds and manage to get by physically and defensively in the NHL only the sky is the limit.

The first big challenge for Malte is to establish himself in the AHL. However, if he can do that, I am sure he will develop a lot there. Probably not in a scoring role early on, but more as a speedy winger on a 2/3 line. And with this kid's speed and finishing ability, who knows where that could take him. I can't rule out that it might be a struggle for this kid to establish himself in the AHL, but then that's that. Nothing lost really. He will bring it his all and work extremely hard though, that is always something.

I also hope that he will be a kid that probably fits a little better in NA than Europe. He is really explosive and a quick skater, and in NA that pays off more.
 
Ola said:
I was a little surprised at first when we signed him. Here are some thoughts.

I think the biggest reason for why we signed this guy is that he is super ambitious in addition to being a great skater and having played in NA before. At worst he will at some point come to HFD and work harder than anyone else (of the ice at least) and help create a good environment in HFD.

His strength is his speed for sure and his ability to challenge Ds 1 on 1 and take the puck to the net.

The downside is that he is diminutive and pretty one dimensional. He is not the type who sets up shop on the PP nor is he much of a playmaker. Hence he scores few cheap goals. OTOH he is really good for sure in those 1 on 1 situation. I've also -- not yet -- seem him be able to assume a role of like a Marty Straka type, ie someone that really can help a scoring teammate out in especially the two way game. But he is still young.

Upside is probably roughly something like a Mikhail Grabovski type maybe.
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^This, minus the Grabovski comparison. Think he can utilize his skills to become more of a stronger player in tight to score. I think if you can see his technical skills while connecting it to his drive to get to the net, or even rip one from way out, think he has a better capable comparison to Marian Hossa or Marian Gaborik for that matter, too. I'm not saying he'll actually end up like those two, but he's got the raw skills for a make shift player like that, IMO.
 
Amazing Kreiderman said:
It's always nice to see a player being picked up by your team after noticing him yourself, Ola. I remember last year Joey Bones and I were talking about Brad Morrison and it just made us all tingly when we saw him being picked in the draft.

I don't expect any miracles from Stromwall, but it's nice to get some young guys with upside. If we add enough prospects to our farm-team, eventually one of two will make it.
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LOL TBT, man!
 
So is Kovac signing this summer too or will he stay in Sweden another year? Probably a tough decision for him.
 
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