Filip Eriksson wasn’t selected for the Swedish World Juniors team, but it didn’t stop him from being selected as our European player of the month for December as he played a very solid game for the SHL-leading Växjö Lakers. He was also selected as January’s player of the month, but for completely different reasons. His play when on loan to the Nybro Vikings in Sweden’s second tier was of a more offensive variety, with 10 points (3G, 7A) in eight games.
Eriksson didn’t get many shifts per game with Växjö and it has been difficult to gauge the development. Especially because he missed the World Juniors, it is difficult for North American readers to understand the development path as it is very different from the North American way of managing a prospect. In order to get a better understanding of a loan to HockeyAllsvenskan and not keeping him in the Lakers U20 team, Eyes On The Prize turned to Växjö’s assistant general manager, Patrik Hall, to understand the development path of the sixth-round pick (165th overall) who seems to have fallen quite a bit during the draft because of the hand/wrist injury that he suffered when playing in his second SHL game.
Upon the return of some of his teammates from the World Juniors, Eriksson found himself on a Växjö team overflowing with talent. As he needed playing time in order to develop properly, Växjö loaned him out to Nybro in HockeyAllsvenskan rather than demote him to the Växjö U20 team, and he has excelled on the first or second line.
“This is a good opportunity for Filip to play important games in a big role,” Hall says in regard to the loan. “Nybro was a good fit because of its proximity to Växjö [an hour by car]. Now with the opportunity to get more minutes and be on the power play and penalty kill, it was a good fit. He’s eligible to play for both teams for the duration of this season.”
Eriksson has played in a few different roles in Växjö, but struggled more as a winger in the SHL than a centre, something that isn’t always the case for rookie players. In Nybro, he has mostly played wing, but with some faceoff responsibilities. It is interesting that he projects better as a centre in a higher league, but is still performing well as a winger in Sweden’s second-tier pro league.
“We really like the way Filip is developing and taking strides. He will get better with physical development and more pro experience and this is part of that. [It has been a] good year so far for Filip. He has shown glimpses of what he can do offensively both in the SHL and the Champions League.”
Växjö is clearly happy with the development in Växjö, but the loan to Nybro can help him in many ways with a chance to play a different role and expand on skills that haven’t always been visible in the SHL. “A bit of a learning curve is expected for a young player. I think he has stepped in and showed that he is a very smart player and you can always count on him doing the right things for the team. He is also a very confident player who does not only play just to survive his shifts, trying to make plays and be a positive factor with the puck to link plays and create.”
In regard to his play in HockeyAllsvenskan, Mr. Hall is more than complimentary. “He’s been creating chances every game and is playing with confidence, so he has a chance to keep up a good offensive level. Allsvenskan is a step below the SHL, but still a very good pro league, so to be able to play big minutes there and produce is a good indicator. Hopefully a good boost for the rest of the season and his continued development.”
Jörgen Jönsson expanded on Eriksson’s development after Växjö’s game against Rögle on Thursday night. What has surprised him most? “The huge step he’s taking right at the start. He’s showing that he’s learning fast. He’s growing, he’s getting faster, stronger, he’s eager to learn and eager to practise. I would say the whole package, I think he’s a mature young kid who really … when I asked him, ‘Do you want to go to Nybro?’ he said, ‘Yeah, I want to play hockey. I want to play a lot of hockey.’ And you have to love that.”
