Leafs Locate New Farm Team In Karlstad Sweden
July 9th, 2009 by Steve
So the Leafs have signed yet another Swedish hockey player, from Farjestads no less. Rickard Wallin is the latest Maple Leafs player to have played for Farjestads in Karlstad. He joins current Leafs Jonas Gustavsson, Jonas Frogren, and ex Leaf Jonas Hoglund.
Wallin was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 1998, and he played in the NHL with Minnesota for 19 games from 2002 to 2004. He produced 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points; 9 of those points came in 15 games in his last stint with the Wild in 2003-04, prior to returning to Sweden. I think it should be mentioned that 9 points in 15 games projects to a 49 point season if he played a full 82 games. That isn’t bad for a guy playing in the NHL 7 years ago, but I have no idea how he’ll turn out now.
Wallin is considered defensively responsible, and he has a definite nose for the net. He set the Farjestads playoff record for goals in a single season with 11 in his ROOKIE year of 2000-01. He has played in the Swedish Elite League, the Swiss National League, the AHL and the NHL over the past 7 years, and he has produced reasonably well at every level.
In the NHL he likely projects to around a 30-40 point player over a full season, with a strong eye towards his skills on the penalty kill and his leadership.
It doesn’t hurt that he was the Captain of the team that has seen Jonas Gustavsson and Jonas Frogren cross over to the Leafs in recent years… or that they won an SEL championship this past season.
He will likely fill a role on the 2nd or 3rd line for the Leafs who are still not entirely certain how their lines will workout in the end.
On another rookie note Tyler Bozak, Viktor Stålberg, and Christian Hanson are apparently living together and looking to make an impact with the Leafs this season. Here’s hoping the college trio can form a solid Kid Line for the Leafs.
More info will be presented as it becomes available.
On a more musical note - check out the Band of Skulls if you’ve got any interest in the Blues… and Whites!
p.s. Did I mention that I write for an indie music blog recently? probably not. Le Sigh.
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7 Responses to “Leafs Locate New Farm Team In Karlstad Sweden”
By James K
on Jul 9, 2009
So much for this move being done strictly as a persuasive measure to lure The Monster.
I guess it follows suit with Burke’s gameplan of having healthy competition at all positions. His bit about wanting players to be looking over their shoulders is quite an intelligent strategy, as long as the excess of forwards doesn’t have such an adverse effect on the cap.
But as far as third line type players go, let’s call it right here. As I see it, there is healthy competition for the bottom 6 as it is. Burke’s task now, as he has discussed, is to “parlay” a defenseman for a forward. Hopefully he can bring in someone of the under 25, top-6 variety, or a player who is projected to have such an upside.
By doggit
on Jul 10, 2009
Good signing, gives us a little leadership and a buffer zone for our younger developing players. I’m just simply amazed at how much depth Burke has added for basically no assets lost.
By Steve
on Jul 10, 2009
Yeah, the Leafs have gone from having a bare cupboard, to a full set of prospects, just by adding depth everywhere possible.
We now have 3 decent goaltending prospects below Toskala and Gustavsson, We have 10 NHL level D men, and even at forward we have 15 guys that will either be in the NHL or could be on the edge. Add in the 10-15 other guys below that on the Marlies and you begin to think the team isn’t lacking for options at any position… they just lack for high end skill up front at this point.
By kidkawartha
on Jul 10, 2009
Steve-
This may offend some Farjestads fans, but, if it was possible, wouldn’t it make good sense for the Leafs to actually purchase the team? I think it would be brilliant to have a feeder/development team right in the heart of things in Sweden.
I have no idea if it’s legal or even possible, but it could make a huge difference for our long-term development.
Any thoughts?
By bkblades on Jul 10, 2009
KK,
I certainly don’t know the legal ramifications of buying a Swedish Elite League team as a Leafs developmental team, but why would MLSE invest in such a project? Unless MLSE can see a profitable investment, which I’m not sure SEL is at this point (aside from their passionate fans, how far can their national brand/marketing go in Sweden and the rest of the world?), that just seems like a distant dream. In principle, it sounds like a great move, but I just don’t see MLSE taking over control of all operations of another team in Europe.
By kidkawartha
on Jul 10, 2009
bk-
Like I said, I had no idea if it was legal, and if you consider the vast stacks of cash MLSE has, do the Marlies make any money? Development is a commitment, as we all know from observing Detroit, and commitments in pro sports take money. Simple. I mean, if we’re going to spend time and energy scouting, drafting and signing in Europe, why not develop right there, as a European transition point to the NHL? It appears the competition is close to the AHL, etc, etc. And I don’t mean to call them the Farjestads Leafs, the team obviously has a solid identity and fan base. From a profit perspective, it’s more than likely a non-winner, but we have to become a better organization development-wise if we’re going to compete long-term, and it just seems like an interesting opportunity and potentially a win-win situation.
By Jason Chen
on Jul 11, 2009
I’d say 40 points for Wallin is a bit of a reach, but it will depend on how Wilson chooses to use him. The sample size to project his NHL contribution is too small - at the AHL level he was merely a bit better than a half a point per game player. He didn’t quite impress the Minnesota brass with his play and never could crack their then mediocre roster. Some players make a good transition from the European leagues to the NHL, while others falter.
Don’t forget that Wallin also has the dubious distinction of being traded for Joe Juneau.