97/98 NHL Swedes vs 2013

[LiveeviL]

A bit bored, but it came as a thought when I saw a thread in The business of hockey forum about decline of Europeans in NHL.
I then constructed two teams from each season 2013 and 97/98 just for fun. What would the boxscore be (they are as good as they were the actual seasons, bar injuries)?



2013
Zetterberg – Bäckström - Alfredsson
Sedin – Sedin - Franzen
Landeskog - Berglund - Stålberg
Steen – Zibanejad - Silfverberg

Enström – Karlsson
Edler – OEL
Kronwall – Hedman
Hjalmarsson – Gunnarsson

Lundqvist




1997/98
Näslund- Forsberg - Alfredsson
Modin – Sundin – Niklas Sundström
Holmström –Nylander – Mikael Renberg
P.J. Axelsson - Mats Lindgren – Andreas Dackell

Lidström – Kenny Jonsson
Calle Johansson – Fredrik Olaussson
Mattias Öhlund –Marcus Ragnarson
Ulf Samuelsson – Tommy Albelin

Tommy Salo

[Huffman]

Goaltending: 97/98 < 2013

Defence: 97/98 > 2013 (Right now we probably have a more talented group than ever, but they are still young and inexperienced)

Forwards: 97/98 >2013 (Not by a whole lot, I believe Landeskog should be on the team though)

[LiveeviL]

Sry of course, Landeskog in.

[joe89]

Originally Posted by LiveeviL

Sry of course, Landeskog in.

And maybe Berglund?

How I see it..
1st line: -98
2nd line: -13
3rd line: wash
4th line: -98

1st pair: -98
2nd pair: -13
3rd pair: -98
4th pair: wash

goalie: -13

Pretty close.. Little edge to -98.

[Darth Yoda]

Should'nt Arvedson be in the 97/98 group, and where is Mattias Norström? For 2013, first of all, where is Eriksson? Also i think it's better to use Zetterberg and Steen as centers, getting Hörnqvist in and perhaps Thörnberg.

[LiveeviL]

Berglund yes of course. Arvedson could have a case over Holmström, but it is not clear cut to me.

What is fun with this thread is to see the development of Swedish hockey, not only in NHL by seeing these two squads. Further there is a reason I did not list backup goalies, it has happened stuff.

[IT]

Zibby, yes on potential but no no no, not yet.
Out with Zibby and Silf. In with Hornqvist and Eriksson and move Steen to center.

[Systemfel]

What, you don't have Loui in there?

[LiveeviL]

Originally Posted by Systemfel

What, you don't have Loui in there?

Well I had a "right now 2013" approach (i,.e. playing well now) to it at first, in order to balance up the "right then 97/98" approach (which most likely have some similar things/omissions which stings the eye, but people knows the contemporary better). That way it made sense to leave some out, but my stance kind of eroded when I gave way to suggestions (suggestions which are perfectly fine in themselves) but not in the spirit of "right now 2013".


Anyway the line-ups shows an upside of quality regarding Swedish hockey in NHL. These days you can field two full squads up to the cap with Swedish players and in 97/98 you couldn't go for the cap and not even get two teams together (lack of proper centres but most important, goalies)

[johnny_rudeboy]

I take the team with a prime Sundin, Forsberg and Lidström. But other then that I take todays players.

[Darth Yoda]

You know it's really hard to take a team with Zibanejad in it seriously, especially on the fourth line.

Jörgen Jönsson should be heavily considered for the 1997/98 team. Mats Lindgren probably was gonna be injured anyways so that is a good slot.

[joe89]

Originally Posted by Darth Yoda

You know it's really hard to take a team with Zibanejad in it seriously, especially on the fourth line.

Jörgen Jönsson should be heavily considered for the 1997/98 team. Mats Lindgren probably was gonna be injured anyways so that is a good slot.

But the OP is comparing the NHLers, Jörgen was playing in Sweden at the time.