Sens' Super Swedes
Reply With QuoteJakob Silfverberg - Right Winger
Drafted: 2009 - 2nd round, #39 overall
Jakob Silfverberg is a very intriguing prospect. The 20-year old 6’2”, 190 lbs winger from Gavle plays a sound two-way game, is a very solid playmaker, and has one of the best shots in the SEL. Silfverberg seems to deceive goalies with his shot, as a lot of the time he doesn’t even fully wind-up to shoot, yet the puck comes off his stick like a laser beam. His slapper from the wing is very much like Daniel Alfredsson’s, and if he can use it at the NHL level then he will be a very valuable player in both real life and in fantasy leagues. Silverberg is often compared to fellow Swede winger Loui Eriksson, who also plays a well-rounded two-way game.
The only question is where Silfverberg will play when he reaches the NHL. Pierre Dorion had this to say about Silfverberg when speaking to OttawaSenators.com: "The one thing that's got to pick up is his quickness off the mark," he said. "If he can work on that ... that'll determine where he plays in the NHL. If that quickness off the mark can be just a tad better, he's a top-two line player. If not, he's a third-line player."
It’s clear that Silfverberg’s stock is consistently climbing. After having a strong season for Brynas IF Gavle in which he scored 18 goals and added 16 assists, Silfverberg made his debut for Sweden at the recent World Championships in Slovakia. The Senators believe he is NHL-ready, but Silfverberg feels he has to develop some more in Sweden, so he will return to Brynas for one more year. He should make the Senators in 2012-2013. Silfverberg makes for a very good value pick in fantasy prospect drafts, as he is being drafted low for the type of player he is. If he was in the CHL, his fantasy stock would definitely be higher than it is right now.
Marcus Sorensen - Right Winger
Drafted: 2010 - 4th round, #106 overall
Marcus Sorensen is a small, skilled winger from Sodertalje, and is the ultimate definition of “sleeper”. This is a guy who most of you reading this have probably never heard of. I certainly never heard of him until he was drafted by Ottawa last year. Sorensen is a potential “final gem” recommended by Anders Forsberg. Legend has it that Ottawa’s head scouts were not allowed to watch Sorensen play in Sweden so as to not give away to other teams that they were interested in him.
What Sorensen lacks in size (5’11”, 161 lbs), he makes up for in skill. Some have compared him to fellow Swede Henrik Zetterberg and Czech winger Martin Havlat. In 2009-2010, Sorensen destroyed the U-18 junior league in Sweden, putting up 15 goals and 27 assists in 15 games for Sodertalje. He was then promoted to the U-20 league, where he put up a very respectable 7 goals and 10 assists in 27 games for Sodertalje. This past season, Sorensen was transferred to the Djurgarden organization, and his play only got better. He scored 14 goals and added 22 assists in 31 games for Djurgarden’s U-20 junior team in the SuperElit. Because of his strong play, Sorensen was promoted to Djurgarden’s parent club in the SEL for 7 games. He scored a goal and added an assists in his cup of coffee with the big club.
Sorensen obviously has a lot of work to do if he is to ever make the NHL. He needs to get stronger, as he has been easy to contain in Ottawa’s development camps the past two years. That being said, he is an intriguing prospect because of his creativity, soft hands, and scoring touch.
He probably won’t be picked in any fantasy drafts right now, so if you are looking for a potential gem, Sorensen may be your guy. Once you get to the latest round in your draft, you probably don’t know many of the players available, so you might as well take a chance on young Marcus. If he is anything like Anders Forsberg’s past recommend players (Karlsson, Silfverberg, Lehner, Rundblad), then he may have a future in the NHL.
Mika Zibanejad - Centre/Winger
Drafted: 2011 - 1st round, #6 overall
The Senators used their first 1st round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on Mika Zibanejad, a rugged winger/centre from Huddinge who was one of the biggest draft risers this season. Zibanejad, an Iranian-Finnish Swede who speaks English, Finnish, Swedish, Farsi, and a bit of French, quickly became one of the more intriguing prospects for the 2011 draft once he was promoted to the SEL by Djurgarden. Zibanejad started off on Djurgarden’s fourth line but due to his impressive play, he found himself on the second line once the season was over. Zibanejad put up a respectable 5 goals and 4 assists in 29 games for Djurgarden after scoring 12 goals and adding 9 assists in 27 games for Djurgarden’s under-20 junior team in the SuperElit.
Zibanejad is the complete package. The 6’2”, 192-pound centre/winger plays well offensively and defensively, hits like a bull, and never stops working on the ice. He is a very versatile player who can play the point on the power-play, can take face-offs, can park himself in front of the net, and can be a creative passer or shooter from either the centre or the wing. What stood out to most scouts was that Zibanejad as one of Djurgarden’s best players in the SEL playoffs, which is not normal for an 18 year old player with 26 games of SEL experience. This guy clearly is a special prospect if he can stand out night-in, night-out against men in Sweden.
I have been following Zibanejad for quite some time and, unlike a lot of other people, I was not surprised that he went as high as he did in the draft. He was always a factor on the ice when I watched him, whether it be in some SEL games streamed online or in the U-18’s that were held this past spring. He has lots of untapped potential at both ends of the ice. His shot is very good and accurate, and he is a very adept playmaker. Think about what he will do when he reaches his physical potential. He is already hitting guys at 18 years old, so think about when he gets up to 6’3”-6’4”, 220 lbs (which Ottawa says he can reach) and how much of a physical beast he could become then. It’s hard to pinpoint a comparison for Zibanejad, and I will probably look foolish for saying this, but he does remind me of Peter Forsberg and Evgeni Malkin in the way he plays. I’m not saying he will become as good as those players, I’m just saying Zibanejad’s style of play reminds me of a blend of those two players, but with a bit more of an edge and tenacity to his game. Probably a more realistic comparison I have seen is Kyle Okposo, but I have also seen comparison to former Djurgarden and Toronto product Mats Sundin.
In terms of fantasy drafts, Zibanejad is not getting a ton of love simply because not many people have been exposed to him as much as other players in the CHL. I have seen some drafts where he is being drafted behind Sven Bartschi, which to me is just baffling. Also, Sean Couturier is being drafted over him simply because of his point totals in the QMJHL and because of the hype he has received for two years now. Usually, risers like Zibanejad have far more success than fallers like Couturier. Anyway, my point is that you can get Zibanejad at about #7-12 in 2011 draft prospect-only fantasy drafts, which is very good value for a player picked at #6 who will be a legit NHLer for sure.
Zibanejad has a very good chance to play this season in Ottawa. If he is signed by July 15, he will be able to go to Ottawa’s training camp and compete for a spot on the NHL roster. If not, Zibanejad will play a full season with Djurgarden next year. My prediction is that he makes the Senators this season, though. His style of play and maturity level makes him ready for the NHL. He could very well be the second most NHL-ready forward from the 2011 draft.
Originally Posted by Big Ev
