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Two Prospects to Watch in Sweden |
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Toronto Maple Leafs fans already know the name Anton Strålman. It may not be long until the rest of the NHL knows his name, too. The swift skating 20-year-old defenseman with a heavy shot from the point is shaping up to be a late-round drafting steal.
Selected by the Leafs in the 7th round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Strålman has taken Elitserien (the Swedish Elite League) by storm this season-- routinely playing 25+ minutes a game and drawing comparisons to no less a player than Nicklas Lidström at the same age.
Those are some mighty lofty expectations to live up to -- and it remains to be seen if Strålman, who has 4 goals, 6 points and a +7 rating so far this year, will contine to climb offensively. But he draws praise across the board for his decision-making and all-around skill level. He plays on the top defensive pairing of a first-place Timrå Red Eagles team with the stingiest D in the league. That's very rare for such a young player in Sweden.
There seems to be little doubt that Strålman is a top-notch prospect and one of the names NHL fans should file away for the near future.
Strålman is currently playing for Team Sweden at the annual Karjala Cup tournament.
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Another Timrå player to keep an eye on: left wing Oscar Sundh. The 20-year-old, who played in the Q last season for St. John's, has emerged as a potential rookie of the year candidate in Elitserien.
He draws praise for his combination of size (6-2, 195), well-above average speed and willness to take a direct route to net rather than hover around the perimeter.
NHL-wise, he is undrafted.
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Look for a profile tomorrow on NHL.com about Timrå's surprise dominance in Elitserien. The same club that missed the playoffs last year and had Kent Manderville as its second-leading scorer, is arguably the most pleasant surprise in Europe this season.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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