++ [ originally posted by USA Juventini ] ++
Can you explain to me why there is a sudden dry well in Sweden as far as talent coming into the NHL recently?
I wrote this long answer but then the server didn't send it. :fero:
So a little shorter.
There are still talents. Zetterberg won the rookie scoring league last season. He could do much good for Detroit, but he won't become any new Forsberg, Lidström or Sundin. But I think he'll become as good as Näslund. We had hope for the sedin twins (fags). But they flopped totally, although they had a good start. Huselius is good, but he won't become a real superstar, but histechnique is splendid.
But there isn't much new coming. Alexander Steen and Robert Nilsson is the only ones you should look out for in the future.
I think it's mainly NHLs fault. They steal every single piece of talent we have. Players who haven't even played in the nationalteam make it to the NHL. Of course all players wnat to come to NHL and make big money. The problem is that our domestic league is crap and that has made us lose the interest in hockey. We only have mediocre players and the national team is playing crap. One important reason is also that hockey is pretty expensive and that we now play 52(!) games per season + playoffs. Nobody can afford that, and most important those 52 games are not interesting as it is only the playoffs that matter.
Football has stolen the crowd from hockey.
Unless something drastic happens, swedish hockey will fall even deeper. If this strike becomes reality I think it will have a positive effect on swedish hockey.