That’s how good the foreigners of the National League are – the new challengers
New and back in the National League: Colton Sceviour (SCB), Linus Omark (GSHC) and Leon Bristedt (HCD).Image: imago, watson
Analyze
The clubs have signed 48 new foreign players for the 2022/23 Bundesliga season. We tell you how good they are in a three-part series. Today part 2 with the challengers in the middle of the table.
01.09.2022, 17:0201.09.2022, 17:17
From this season, six instead of four foreign players per match will be allowed in the National League. In addition, 14 teams form the league. Both changes are still the subject of controversy. In any case, the fact is: the new rules have created a lot of new, exciting players moving to Switzerland. We introduce them to you.
HC Davos
Klas Dahlbeck (31), defender
HCD fans may still remember Daniel Rahimi. The Swede played for the Bündner in 2016/17 and was somewhat undeservedly chosen as one of the scapegoats in a weak season. Klas Dahlbeck – also from Sweden – now brings a pretty similar player profile. An intelligent and strong defensive defender. Someone who wins duels and convinces with good positional play. Dahlbeck always looks for the simplest possible solution to a problem and rarely makes mistakes. But if you expect a lot of scorer points from him, you are in the wrong place.
Dahlbeck with the number 6 hardly takes any risks in the breakout.
Leon Bristedt (27), wing
First Mattias Tedenby, then Mathias Bromé and now Leon Bristedt: HC Davos has developed a taste for short and agile Swedish strikers in recent years. Bristedt (172 cm/83 kg) fits this profile like a glove. He is an extremely fast skater, also he has a wrist shot. The 27-year-old, who comes from Rögle BK, has just had the best season of his career. It is always difficult to confirm this, however. HCD fans are also warned: Bristedt occasionally indulges in one or the other lack of discipline.
Joakim Nordstrom (30), middle
Joakim Nordström brings a lot of experience to Davos. Not only has the Swede integrated 500 NHL games under his belt, he is also a Stanley Cup winner (2015 with Chicago) and world champion (2017). Nordstrom is considered an intelligent and complete two-way center with strong skating qualities. He will fit in perfectly with HCD’s fast transition game.
Nordstrom is very valuable in the transition game.
The low scorer values should not worry the Bündner fans, Nordstrom did not play a role in the NHL that made many points possible. On the other hand, what is exciting is that he already knows the other HCD newcomer, Klas Dahlbeck, very well. The two played together for the Carolina Hurricanes and most recently in Moscow.
The imports: Klas Dahlbeck (new), Magnus Nygren (previous), Leon Bristedt (new), Joakim Nordström (new), Dennis Rasmussen (previous), Matej Stransky (previous).
The rating of the new HCD foreigners: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating Key:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: For a group with at least one strong NHL player
⭐⭐⭐⭐: For a group of former NHL regulars and outstanding players from European leagues
⭐⭐⭐: For a group of good to very good players from European leagues or the AHL
⭐⭐: For a group of average players from European leagues
⭐: For a group of weak players from European leagues
SC Bern
Éric Gélinas (31), defender
Éric Gélinas started his ice hockey career as a forward, but over the years has been converted to a defender. So it comes as no surprise that the Canadian is an attacking defender. Gélinas is a dynamic skater who likes to finish at every opportunity. He’s playing half a point a game in his best NHL season, but that was nine years ago. However, he recently brought half a point per game state in Sweden. The Canadian is a player who likes to take risks and therefore makes the odd mistake or two.
Colton Sceviour (33), centre
After nine years in the NHL, Colton Sceviour has now relocated to Bern. The transfer is interesting because the Canadian striker has always been a role player. Sceviour is a defensive striker, a man down specialist, a hard worker who sometimes finishes a check. He’s not someone who tears the spectators out of their seats with fine moves or technical delicacies.
Oscar Lindberg (30), middle
Lindberg is no longer a newcomer to the national league. In 2019/20 he played for EV Zug. At that time we wrote about him: The Swede is a two-way center who does not stand out due to his huge scoring potential – he then scored 30 points in 46 games. Solid but not outstanding. Most recently at Dynamo Moscow, he increased his points total a little. Like Sceviour, Lindberg is basically a player who convinces above all with defensive stability.
Oscar Lindberg spent one season in Zug.Image: imago images/Geisser
Chris DiDomenico (33), center
He is well known in Switzerland: a highly dangerous striker and an excellent playmaker. Chris DiDomenico always oscillates between genius and madness, but recently genius had the upper hand. At Gottéron he was the outstanding top scorer last season.
New from Bern: Chris DiDomenico.Image: Keystone
The imports: Éric Gélinas (new), Cody Goloubef (previous), Chris DiDomenico (new), Dominik Kahun (previous), Oscar Lindberg (new), Colton Sceviour (new).
The rating of the new SCB foreigners: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SCRJ Lakers
Jordan Schroeder (31), middle
Jordan Schroeder was once considered a big talent, a sure top 10 draft pick in 2009. But because of his height (175 cm) he eventually falls back to 22nd place. Over the next ten years he tried to be forgiving, to settle into an NHL team and during that time he played 165 games in the top league in the world.
Schroeder was caught in middle-class limbo: an offensive player, underperforming for a top-six NHL role, but underperforming defensively for the back line. In Europe, with Nizhny Novgorod and Jokerit Helsinki, he was able to implement his talent much better, both as a playmaker and as a sniper.
Goal threat: Jordan Schroeder scores four times in one game.
Nicklas Jensen (29), wings
Schröder meets an old acquaintance at Obersee: Nicklas Jensen. The two have played together at Jokerit for the last two years. The Danish-Canadian dual citizen was once said to be the best Danish ice hockey player in history. That didn’t quite work out, but the 29-year-old brings the whole package with him, so to speak.
He’s tall and strong (191cm/98kg) yet a good, fast skater who’s very persistent in forechecking. Jensen has a fine stick technique and a dangerous, hard shot. Last season he scored 19 goals in just 37 games at Jokerit. The fact that he was not able to fully exploit his potential in the NHL was due to the fact that he was slow in expecting himself. But now Jensen is 29 years old and probably the perfect buyer for Roman Cervenka’s brilliant passes – especially on the power play.
Maxim Noreau (35), defender
He hardly needs an introduction, after all it’s already his ninth year in the National League: Maxim Noreau is a strong attacking defender and a first-class leader and thinker on the power play.
Last season with the ZSC Lions: Maxim Noreau.Image: Keystone
The imports: Emil Djuse (previous), Maxim Noreau (new), Roman Cervenka (previous), Nicklas Jensen (new), Andrew Rowe (previous), Jordan Schroeder (new).
Rating of new SCRJ foreigners: ⭐⭐⭐
Lausanne HC
Daniel Audette (26), centre
Daniel Audette never made it into the NHL. This has to do with the fact that as a small player (175 cm/75 kg) you have to excel in order to assert yourself, which was never quite the case for the Canadian. In Europe, however, the 26-year-old managed to implement his skills. Audette is lightning fast and a brilliant technician. He has a good overview and plays strong passes.
Robin Kovacs (25), wing
Tempo and skills seem to be the new line at Lausanne. Robin Kovacs also fulfills this profile perfectly. He wasn’t happy in his only season in North America, but he’s been steadily improving in Europe in recent years. The Swede is not only fast and technically adept, but also an extremely unpleasant opponent who goes into tough duels. His greatest weapon is his harder and more accurate wrist shot.
Michael Raffl (33), wing
Michael Raffl is one of the most influential figures in Austrian ice hockey. He played in the NHL for nine years and played more than 600 games. Now he is ending his career in Europe. With the 33-year-old, Lausanne is getting another fast-paced player. Raffl is someone who throws checks and gets under the opponent’s skin. In the NHL, he was regularly used outnumbered. There he is also a candidate for shorthanders thanks to his basic speed. Interesting: Raffl has lost to Lausanne before – in 2019 with Philadelphia as part of the NHL Global Series.
Miikka Salomäki (29), wing
Salomäki will probably duel with Cory Emmerton for the sixth and last import place on the Lausanne match sheet. The Finn is strongly built, looks for physical play in duels and is reliable in his own zone. Salomäki is not an outstanding scorer and sometimes tends to be undisciplined.
Played a long time in Milwaukee with the Nashville Predators farm team: Miikka Salomäki.Image: imago images/Icon SMI
The imports: Martin Gernat (previous), Daniel Audette (new), Cory Emmerton (previous), Robin Kovacs (new), Michael Raffl (new), Miikka Salomäki (new), Jiri Sekac (previous).
Rating of the new LHC aliens: ⭐⭐⭐
HC Geneva Servette
Teemu Hartikainen (32), centre
Teemu Hartikainen is a real hunk. At a height of 186 centimeters, he weighs well over 100 kilograms. Accordingly, the Finn is strong in duels, especially along the boards. The 32-year-old is also a weapon right in front of goal to use rebounds and deflect discs – especially on the power play. Hartikainen’s greatest weakness is, unsurprisingly, skating. The powerful fin is anything but fast and agile.
Teemu Hartikainen is at home in the slot.
Linus Omark (35), wings
Linus Omark is back after a season at home in Lulea. In 2020/21 he skated a fabulous 61 points in 49 games for Geneva. What the Swede is capable of has long been known: perfect passes, dangerous shots, technical delicacies – Omark can do it all.
Linus Omark is back in Geneva.Image: Keystone
The imports: Henrik Tömmernes (Bischer), Sami Vatanen (Bischer), Valtteri Filppula (Bischer), Teemu Hartikainen (new), Linus Omark (new), Daniel Winnik (Bischer).