QUICK HITS: JUNE 10, 2018
1) One of the more intriguing NHL careers of recent vintage is that of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Strålman. In his 2005 draft year, he was almost an afterthought. Toronto selected him in the 7th round, 216th overall. Strålman then had a meteoric rise in Elitserien (now SHL) with Timrå IK, and became a hyped prospect before joining the Maple Leafs.
Early in his North American career, Strålman expected to develop into a regular point producer and potential power play quarterback. He struggled to do so and found himself on the periphery of being out of the NHL by the time he was 25.
Strålman, however, eventually found his niche. As a member of the New York Rangers, he became a very reliable two-way defenseman; much more of a smooth puck-mover than a point-producer and savvy without the puck. He continued in the same role after signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning and, now 700+ games into his NHL career, remains a fine player to this day at age 31.
In the 2018 NHL Draft class, there is a player who is a virtual clone of a young Strålman, and not just because they are both righthanded shooting defensemen from Sweden. Nils Lundkvist, a defenseman who played 28 SHL games for Luleå HF this season, has a very similar build (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) and playing style.
Like Strålman, Lundkvist sees the ice very well, makes reliably sound decisions with and without the puck and is rarely out of position. While not especially physical, he competes and is not easily intimidated. Lundkvist is also a very smooth skater, and is very effective when going forward. He's already not bad at all for a defenseman his age when skating backwards, but as he gets a little stronger and gains experience, will likely further improve. Although he was promoted from the junior (SuperElit) to SHL level and only played 26 games at the J20 level this season, Lundkvist's game was so advanced that he was named the SuperElit's top defenseman this season.
Lundkvist is adept at skating the puck to safety, because he quick in pivoting and getting his feet moving quickly. He is also good at making tape-to-tape passes to start a breakout or saucering a pass to elude an opponent and keep play moving north. In the offensive zone, he is good at joining the rush if there an opportunity to do so. Lundkvist doesn't have a high-velocity shot but he does have a pretty quick release and the shot usually gets on net. He scored two goals in the SHL this season and had three assists.
Early this season, there was no buzz about Lundkvist in terms of being a top-end candidate for the NHL Draft. Like Strålman a dozen years ago, Lundkvist could have flown under the radar for an NHL team to pluck in the middle to late rounds. That has changed, however. NHL teams tend to take notice of a 17-year-old defenseman at the SHL level who averages 16 minutes of ice time and more than holds his own.
The Hockey News ranks Lundkvist 51st in their 2018 Draft Preview; right in the range of the Flyers' second-round pick (50th overall). Craig Button has him 45th on his final Craig's List and McKeen's has him in early 2nd-round range (ranked 37th) but 8th on their "Most Skilled" list. According to HockeyProspect's Black Book, some European-based NHL scouts consider Lundqvist worthy of stepping up to use a first-round pick rather than hoping he's still lurking in the second round. The consensus on the player is that he's a future top 4 (possible top 3) NHL defenseman. Lundkvist is expected to play in Sweden for the next two years but could be NHL-ready by age 20 or age 21 if he spends a season in the AHL.
Side note: Lundkvist hails from Piteå; the town that produced the likes of past NHL notables Mikael Renberg, Mattias Öhlund, Tomas Holmström, Lars Lindgren and Stefan Persson.
2) Today in Flyers History: On June 10, 1995, the Flyers evened up their Eastern Conference Final series with the New Jersey Devils at two games apiece with a 4-2 win at the Meadowlands. Mikael Renberg put the Flyers ahead to stay in the second period and a third period shorthanded goal by Rod Brind'Amour put Philly in firmer control. The Flyers also got goals from Shjon Podein and Eric Desjardins, while Ron Hextall stopped 32 of 34 shots. Renberg, who had a game-high six shots on goal, took first-star honors.
3) Today in Phantoms History: In both 1998 and 2005, the Philadelphia Phantoms won the Calder Cup on June 10. The 1998 series with the Saint John Flames went six games, with the championship clinching game in Philly. The 2005 championship was a sweep over the Chicago Wolves, also with the clincher on home ice in Philly. Neil Little was the primary starting goalie on the first championship team (with rookie Brian Boucher as the backup) and backed up Antero Niitymäki on the 2004-05 team. John Stevens was the captain of the 1997-98 team as a veteran defenseman, and head coach of the second titlist.
4) June 10 Flyers Alumni Birthday: Brian Benning (1966).
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IDES OF MARSH
Trek Bicycles has signed on as the official bike sponsor of the 2018 Toyota Flyers Charity Classic. The captain of the Ides of Marsh team, Brad Marsh, will be giving away a free brand new Trek FX2 bike to a member of the team via a random drawing. All Ides of Marsh team members are automatically eligible to win. In total, there will be five prizes given away, including Flyers tickets, jerseys and memorabilia.
Here is how it works: Everyone who is currently registered for the Ides of Marsh will be entered into the drawing. Likewise, everyone who registers prior to July 6 will also be registered in the drawing, and anyone who refers new registrants will receive an additional per-person entry for the prizes with no limit.
Deadline for entries is July 6 at midnight. Another incentive: When registering as an Ides of Marsh member, use promo code IDESOFMARSH and you will receive a $10 discount off of your registration fee. To register,
click here.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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