Svedberg ready to debut vs. Islanders
“[He has come] a longway in a short amount of time but certainly adds a dimension to our team with his size on the back end,” saidHawks coach Joel Quenneville who recalled the 6-9 Svedberg fromRockford on Thursday.
Viktor Svedberg has a pretty clear vision of his game. He wants to be solid defensively, find himself in the right position and play smart with the puck when it comes to him.
That sounds like something the Blackhawks need.
As expected, the Hawks recalled the 6-9 Svedberg from Rockford and sent Ville Pokka to the IceHogs on Thursday. Svedberg, who’s likely to be in the lineup Friday on the road against the New York Islanders, had a strong training camp and was only sent back to the AHL for salary-cap reasons.
Now that he has returned, the Hawks will look for him to continue his improvement, which could come in handy after the rebuilt defense was shaky at times in the 3-2 lossWednesday to the New York Rangers. Coach Joel Quenneville said his poise with the puck and his positioning have gotten better, all of which should go well with a player whose reach is as long as Svedberg’s.
“[He has come] a long way in a short amount of time but certainly adds a dimension to our team with his size on the back end,” Quenneville said.
Svedberg practiced with the Hawks during their Cup run last spring and said that experience was invaluable. He saw how the top players went about their business.
“You learn a lot,” Svedberg said. “You learn how the veterans behave on and off the ice, and you learn the systems a little bit more. It was a great experience to be a part of.”
On Friday, he’ll likely get his first chance to apply those lessons in an NHL game. If he does, that would help a blue line that has some unanswered questions after the loss in the opener. Neither Trevor Daley, Trevor van Riemsdyk nor David Rundblad stood out in a good way, and one figures to sit while Svedberg plays in Brooklyn.
Daley, acquired along with Ryan Garbutt as part of the deal that sent Patrick Sharp to Dallas, is trying to adjust to a new team after spending 11 seasons with the Stars. It’s a process that’s still in progress.
“I don’t want it to take too much time,” Daley said. “I want to get it right away, so I’m going to work as hard as I can to get it for tomorrow night.”
Still looking
It’s not a question of whether Teuvo Teravainen will play, watch from the press box or go back to Rockford. The question now is which spot suits Teravainen the best.
As Quenneville said while mentioning Patrick Kane, Teravainen can play in many different situations and with different linemates over the course of a game.
“It’s a work in progress to know exactly where he’s going to play, but we know that he’s capable of playing with anybody or in any spot, so we’ll see,” Quenneville said. “In the middle, I don’t know if we have asmany guys as we had in the past that could play center and play wing, but he certainly fits that bill.”
Learning the language
Artemi Panarin’s grasp of English is getting better.
“I ask him if he’s married,” Quenneville said. “He goes, ‘No. Single,’ and smiled, so that was progress. I think he’s starting to understand things.”
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