Quote:
Originally Posted by Aarongavey
Is it just me or do Swedes seem to be late bloomers in the NHL? Backlund would not be the first Swede to really hit his stride around 25. Naslund was up and down until around 25, same with Zetterberg, same with the Sedins. Not saying he is going to be a superstar, but it seems like Swedes take a little longer. If he turns into a 50-60 point two way forward that is pretty good for a 2nd line center.
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I've always had that in the back of my mind. Naslund was labelled a bust early on, but when he finally started scoring for those pesky Canucks he was about 23 or 24. Sedins were a similar age before they really picked it up.
To clarify, I don't think Backs is an elite Swedish superstar talent, but he's making the case that he could be a top 6 player in the NHL – which happens to be what he was projected to be. It's just taking him a little longer to get there.