I would say Sven has played better than expected. I thought he would come up and keep up with the play; make a few passes and fore check. However, the main reason he has performed so well is his assertiveness. He wants the puck, and that is evident when you see him looking for the pass as he’s flying through the neutral zone. When I compare him to Backlund’s first couple games it’s not even close. I thought Backlund was passive, somewhat unsure of himself and almost seemed happy to get his shift over with.
Sven has shown that he wants to make a difference, and in the limited showcase of 3 games, I think he has. And more importantly each game he’s been better than the last.
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