SEL: McCabe, Kahnberg Lockout Casualties
Many locked-out NHLers have thrived in the SEL and emerged as leaders on their respective teams, while others have failed to provide the same desired impact.
Undeniably, the biggest flop so far has been Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe.
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After finishing fourth in scoring among NHL blueliners last season with 55 points and earning a berth on the Second All-Star Team, McCabe brought great expectations in November when he signed with HV 71.
However, just one month later, his Swedish employers had already run out of patience.
McCabe was supposed to bolster the club at both ends, but, rather than measuring what he added, the bigger question is where did he hurt the team the most.
After reporting to Sweden out of shape, McCabe never got comfortable with the bigger European ice surfaces or the lack of redline offsides. He played undisciplined in his own end and was a liability in numerous departments, notably on the scoresheet where he mustered just one goal in 10 games.
Furthermore, team management hardly expected that a player of his stature could display such shaky puckhandling abilities. Go figure.
Prior to the final game before December's two-week league break, HV 71 coach Per Marts finally had seen enough of McCabe's sloppy play, and informed his NHL star that he would be a healthy scratch for the next game.
What was actually said between coach and player, depends on who you ask.
"I said that he would be a healthy scratch for the next game and he was surprised by the decision and he told me this had never happened to him before," said Marts, who added that McCabe gave no other indication than to go along with being scratched.
McCabe offered a slightly different story to the Canadian media.
"I didn't go all the way over there to sit or be made an example of because we're losing," McCabe said upon his abrupt return to Canada following his conversation with Marts.
Boucher Away
McCabe's teammate in HV 71, goaltender Brian Boucher, soon joined McCabe on the other side of the Atlantic after failing to seize the number one job.
Boucher's less-than-stellar .883 save percentage in four games wasn't enough to push Detroit prospect Stefan Liv to the bench, despite the fact that Liv continues to be having a subpar season himself, featuring an unconvincing .894 save percentage.
Scoring Leader To Fourth-liner
Frolunda winger and Carolina prospect Magnus Kahnberg won the scoring title last season in the SEL, notching an impressive 33 goals and 49 points in 50 games.
This year, Kahnberg is nowhere near those totals, currently sitting on just eight goals and four assists with more than 60 percent of the regular season completed.
So, were last year's breakout totals just a fluke?
Hardly.
Kahnberg's production had increased steadily each season in the Swedish Elite League, yet, in this year of the NHL lockout, he has suffered the same cruel fate as that of several other young Swedish players, namely decreased icetime and diminished roles.
After playing all last season on Frolunda's second line, Kahnberg now finds himself patrolling the fourth line, and rarely even getting a sniff on the powerplay.
Naturally, his linemates, Joel Lundqvist (Dal) and Jari Tolsa (Det), have also experienced similar declines.
Spare Parts
With arguably the best junior prospects away at the WJC in the United States, SEL teams traditionally use the three rounds of action between Christmas and New Year's to audition new players from the 2nd league or their respective junior teams.
Despite the NHL lockout, this year was no exception in this regard.
Modo gave 18-year-old rearguard Tobias Viklund a shot in the team's first pairing alongside Mattias Timander for three games. Viklund held his own, playing a smart and positionally sound game that made nobody miss the player he replaced, Oscar Hedman who is with the U-20 national team.
Viklund opted out of the last draft, yet, even despite his strong performance here, may not get selected due to the overall depth of this year's crop.
Another 18-year old, Oscar Sundh, on loan to Djurgarden from Almtuna of the 2nd league, made good use of his opportunity.
On loan for the holiday period, Sundh scored his first SEL goal on December 30th against Mora and was among Djurgarden's most inspired performers in a 6-2 road loss, a game dominated by NHL refugee Marian Hossa who paced Mora with a goal and three assists.