Filip Eriksson started the season with a bang: a three-goal, four-point game, and then a three-assist performance in the second game of the season. With seven points in two games, it looked like an incredible season was about to happen.
The problem was that Luleå didn’t play up to its usual level and ended up in the bottom half of the SHL. North American players who sat out the start of the season for tax reasons making their way into the lineup along with a short-term signing of Linus Omark changed Eriksson’s deployment and ice time drastically.
It is a difficult season to grade. Luleå underperformed throughout the season, including the playoffs even if they knocked out Frölunda in the quarter-finals, long-time coach Thomas Berglund made it his last season with the team after 33 years as a player and coach (the news broke just as the season was about to start), and Eriksson’s usage varied constantly. The thought was that Eriksson would join Luleå and continue his offensive development and production in a team that was more suited to his style of play, but additions to the team before Christmas moved him down to the third or fourth line and he lost his position on the first power-play unit.
Still, Eriksson finished fourth in scoring for Luleå with 29 points, and was tied for top scorer with his 15 goals. On the down side, his production in the playoffs was held to one point over 14 games.
The Champions Hockey League didn’t really help us understand his season either. Over the 13 games Eriksson played he had five points (2G, 3A). This while sometimes playing what many in Sweden consider minor teams. Luleå did reach the final, but lost to Frölunda in overtime.
One thing that stands out is the fact that his shooting percentage was 17.7% in the SHL, but considerably lower in CHL play at 8.3%. When going through the data it is clear that most of his shots came at the start of the season where he was used higher up in the lineup.
Strengths
Eriksson’s shot is fast and accurate. The timing is good and his shot selection is excellent, which explains his high shooting percentage.
I have spoken to all of Eriksson’s coaches except Djurgården’s Robert Kimby, and they all say that Eriksson is a “very smart player,” his “hockey IQ is very good,” and “he is one of the smartest players I have coached.” Kimby would probably agree as he used Eriksson in a more defensive role on the second line when Djurgården achieved its promotion to the SHL in 2025. This should be considered a strength, but it comes with the caveat that he isn’t suited to the bottom half of a lineup, as you lose his best talents, his offensive attributes.
Weaknesses
Previously there has been a question mark about Eriksson when things don’t go his way. He seems to ride his confidence hard; when he has it he is great, but when he loses it he drops like a stone. This year he battled through it but I still consider him a bit of a moody player. It is the consistency that is needed.
It also seems to me that he can’t really drive a line. He is skilled, but needs a centre that can help him. Eriksson is a finisher, but if he wants to go further than Europe he needs to be more of a multi-dimensional player.
Grade: C+
I struggled a lot with this grade. It is probably the toughest one this season, but in the end I did expect more. I definitely thought that Eriksson would be able to keep his role on the two top lines in Luleå throughout the season. The thing is that Eriksson still ended up as one of the better scorers on a struggling team.
The grade would have been higher if Eriksson carried that production into the playoffs. One point in 14 games when the season really matter just isn’t enough. The CHL tournament points toward a lower grade as well, even if SHL teams regularly rests top players in that competition.
Next season is a bit of a make-or-break one for Eriksson. It is his last with Luleå, and he needs to keep the consistency and offensive production to force Montreal’s hand to offer him a contract in the end.
