Fredrik Sjostrom 2010-11 Preview

The monumental trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames on January 31st brought hope to the blue and white, namely in the form of Dion Phaneuf and to a lesser extent, prospect Keith Aulie. The dark horse player included in the swap was Fredrik Sjostrom, who’s presence on the penalty kill has paid immediate dividends. The Leafs still finished with the 30th ranked penalty kill in the NHL, but expectations were increased after Sjostrom was acquired.

Aside from killing penalties and shutting down the opposition, Sjostrom has great speed and pursuit of the puck. He has a sizeable frame at 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, although doesn’t use his size to his advantage. In order for the former first round pick to maximize his potential, he needs to finish all of his checks and use his reach to create more scoring opportunities.

One of the more prominent reasons for concern that the Leafs have is their lack of success on both special teams. Off season acquisitions like Kris Versteeg and Clarke MacArthur were brought in to help bolster the power play, while Sjostrom is the most notable addition in the past year to help the PK. Along with Tim Brent and Colby Armstrong, Sjostrom will anchor the top PK line for the Leafs. He hopes to generate the same success that he experienced when he led the New York Rangers in minutes played on the penalty kill during the 2008-09 season when the team finished 1st in the entire NHL with a 87.8% penalty killing success rate.

Based on the Leafs 74.6% success rate last season, anything in between that and the Rangers 87.8% rate from two seasons ago would be considered an improvement. With a stronger goaltending tandem and a healthy group of defenseman, the penalty kill would be better even without Sjostrom in the lineup. He is bring in to among the top 10 in the league in order for the Leafs to elevate themselves into the post-season picture.

The 27-year old will likely never reach the status expected from a first round pick, although he wasn’t acquired for that reason. Brian Burke and Ron Wilson need him to play a sound defensively game night in and night out. Sjostrom is entering the prime of his career with his fourth NHL organization and hopes to bring his special teams element to get the Leafs back into the playoffs for the first time in six years.

2009-10 Statistics
65 games, 3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points, 12 penalty minutes

2010-11 Prediction
75 games, 6 goals, 10 assists, 16 points, 18 penalty minutes

3 Burning Questions

1 – Can Sjostrom recreate the success he achieved on the penalty kill during his stint with the New York Rangers?

2 – Do you think Sjostrom uses his size to his advantage on the offensive side of the puck?

3 – Will the Leafs re-sign Sjostrom during the season or rely on younger players to step up and anchor the penalty kill?