Sweden

SHL

Carl Grundström

Frölunda played three games this week and won two and lost the final.

In the first one, Grundström was shooting well, had good ice time, but remained pointless.  In the middle game of the set, everything came up Carl.

For a higher resolution look at him being awesome, the full highlight package is available.

In the third game, they met Linköping and had no game in them beyond the top line.  They lost 3-0, and while Grundström played good minutes, his shots dried up so much he had only one that missed.  A quick calculation done before that game happened showed that Grundström is shooting at a rate higher than any forward on the team other than Sean Bergenheim, who moved onto the top line for this game, and his own usual linemates.  This is a very good sign that his goal pace is not just a lucky streak.

This game was a preview of their Champions Hockey League quarterfinal matchup, and Frölunda hosts the first game of two on December 6.  These games are sometimes a chance to see younger players in bigger roles, but even with Bergenheim back in the lineup, Grundström is keeping his place on the second line.  There’s not much higher he can go.

Grundström turns 19 on December 1 and he will celebrate as the top scoring U20 player in the SHL. He is very high on the list of U24 players, and is definitely having a great start to his year.

Allsvenskan

Jesper Lindgren

MODO played two games, lost both, and that is their trend lately.  Nothing seems to be working for them.  LIndgren played first unit defence in the first game and had one assist, but was on the second unit in the second game.

He is in eleventh place in points for defenders, dropping in the standings.

Pierre Engvall

Mora IK played two games, lost the first with Engvall on the second line, but in the second, he scored the final goal of a 4-1 game.

He has 17 points and is in thirteenth place in the standings.  Likely Grundström linemate at the WJC, the draft-eligible Elias Pettersson leads the Allsvenskan with 23 points.

Russia

KHL/VHL

Vladimir Bobylyov

Last week Bobylyov was sent down to the VHL team assosciated with Spartak.  This seemed like a really good thing, as he’s barely been playing.  He played over 15 minutes in his first game for Khimik and had a goal and an assist.

He was called right back up to Spartak, but didn’t appear in their single game of the week. Instead he was back with Khimik on Saturday playing big minutes in their tight game that went to overtime after one goal each.  Khimik won it; however, Bobylyov had no points in this contest.

Yegor Korshkov

Lokomotiv went on a bit of a losing skid this week, dropping three close games.  They run three lines with capable scorers, and sometimes when the top two just can’t produce, the third line, where Korskov usually lurks with Pavel Kraskovsky, gets the job done.  He had an assist and then a goal in two games, the only Lokomotiv points in the games.

They added a win earlier today in a game that was all Max Talbot, Petri Kontiola and Brandon Kozun, tearing up the opposition.  Korshkov’s line had a few shots on goal, but they were kept off the board.

KHL/VHL/MHL

Nikolai Chebykin

Chebykin began his week how he ended his last one, in the KHL with Dynamo Moscow.  They started against the Gagarin Cup champions, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and got beat in a 5-0 thumping, where Chebykin had eight shifts.

Next up was an overtime win over Traktor, where Chebykin was listed on the roster, but didn’t play.

The third game of the week was a 2-1 loss to Salavat Yulaev, where he is listed as playing one eight-second shift.

That does not sound like a player the coach wants to use. But the practice time with the big club might be good for him.  I won’t be surprised if he ends up back in the VHL next week.

Maple Leafs Prospects