“I have coached several players in my career who have made it to the NHL, including Joel Eriksson-Ek, Rasmus Asplund and Jonas Brodin. And I can tell you without hesitation that I have never seen such a keen sense of the game and puck handling under pressure as that of Filip Eriksson.

Filip Eriksson is a Canadian prospect, a forward selected by Montreal in the sixth round (165th overall) during the 2023 auction.

The young man is also taking part in the CH development camp this week.

Despite his great success last season, Eriksson played almost anonymously for the Nybro Vikings in the Swedish second division (Allsvenkan). And in the eyes of his coach Tommy Samuelsson, the man behind the statement at the beginning of this article, it is time for that to change.

Well, we have often seen a coach praising his player’s achievements in an interview. But the Swedish striker’s performance actually deserves more light.

In the shadow of Logan Mailloux, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Jacob Fowler, Filip Mesar, Owen Beck and Co., Eriksson had an overwhelming campaign. An unusually productive campaign for a player playing his post-draft year.

24 points in 21 games. We are talking about an average of 1,143 points/game, an average that earned the young man third place in the entire round.

By comparison, Noah Ostlund (0.70), Liam Ohgren (0.56) and Jonathan Lekkerimaki (0.31), three first-round picks (!), achieved a far less convincing rate under similar circumstances last year.

“I want people to understand how unusual it is to see a 19-year-old come into our league, after a season that was also ruined by injury, and dominate like that,” Eriksson’s coach emphasizes.

“It was extremely difficult mentally”

Filip Eriksson takes part in the Zoom interview organized by his team, barely three hours after the request of the author of these lines (by the way, a big hat tip to the efficiency/openness of his team’s media department!).

“This is my first interview ever in English,” says the skater from Ljungby in southern Sweden quite openly.

But Eriksson obviously knows the language of Shakespeare well enough to tell how he felt in the middle of the draft year (2022-2023) when he broke his hand in the Lakers’ second game of the season against Vaxjo in the SHL, the best caliber in Sweden. It was October 15, 2022.

“It was extremely difficult mentally at first, to be honest. I knew it was a significant season for me.”

Photo credit: hockeysverige

Fortunately, the operation went well, says the skater, whose father is a former SHL player. Today, he swears, his hand is “in perfect condition.” But he missed hockey a lot, a lot.

Ultimately, the striker will have played only 20 games (six in the SHL if we count the season and the playoffs, in which he participated very briefly) and 14 in the Swedish junior league (where he collected 11 points).

However, there is nothing that could scare the Canadian. On June 28, 2023, Filip Eriksson’s name was announced by Kent Hughes at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised to be selected considering I didn’t get to play much. I felt like I hadn’t really demonstrated my expertise. But I was very happy to be the Habs’ choice.”

“I felt he was special”

Last January, Filip Eriksson played 29 games (and six points) with Vaxjo in the SHL. But the organization relies on many experienced players and has less and less ice time to give to the Swiss hopeful.

The team therefore decided to loan him to Nybro in the second division (Allsvenkan).

There he met Tommy Samuelsson.

There are several adult players in the Allsvenkan and it is not easy to generate offense on this pitch.

But Eriksson didn’t need long to settle in at Nybro, picking up 12 points in his first nine games, including five goals.

“His puck management and ability to read a game well are exceptional,” praises his coach. He knows what will happen 10 seconds later. It’s both strange and spectacular. He is always well positioned. He has the ability to divide the attacking zone into different sectors and analyze them … while controlling the puck. This means that his play selection is often very good. He recognizes his teammates well, but doesn’t hesitate to take the shot when it’s necessary.”

Overstressed

“For me, my way of helping and educating Filip is to make him play!”

The interesting thing is that when Coach Samuelsson talks about “playing” Eriksson, he’s not talking about just throwing him into the fray a few times. This is absolutely crazy usage… in all sorts of areas.

“He is currently playing more than 20 minutes per game, which is unusual for a young man of his age in the Swedish second division,” the pilot explains. “I use him in our power play as a playmaker.”

But don’t think that Eriksson’s contribution is “limited to the attack.”

“I also use him on the penalty kill, whether it’s 4 or 3 on 5. He’s also on the ice when we have to protect a lead late in the game. In short, do you understand how reliable it is? Defensively, he blocks shots and always places his stick in the right passing lane. He doesn’t look his age. He’s a student of the game. He loves hockey.”

Photo credit: Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY

To support his words, the 64-year-old ice hockey player tells an anecdote that is, to say the least, revealing.

“We have an observation session the day before a game on our next opponent’s shorthanded play. The next day we face said team. We have a numerical advantage and Filip scores quickly. He returns to the bench smiling and says to me: ‘Did you see? They completely missed their game plan!'”

“He had just discovered a flaw in the opponent’s structure in the middle of the game and … exploited it. And the impressive thing is that he was fully aware of it!”

Filip Eriksson’s plan

Filip Eriksson, who compares his playing style to that of Nicklas Backstrom, has one season left on his contract with Vaxjo in the SHL.

His plan in hindsight? Test North America.

Despite all the qualities listed about him in this article, the striker has two important projects ahead of him until then.

First, his skating. Not that he’s bad, but at 5’10” and 165 pounds, he needs to get to the next level to compete with AHL/NHL players. Eriksson is fluid, but lacks raw leg strength.

The second sector to be worked on is closely linked to the first and Eriksson himself mentions it.

“I need to get stronger and bigger. I’m going to put in a lot of effort this summer. I talk to Rob Ramage about once a month. He tells me he’s happy with my performance, but also reminds me that the road to the NHL is a process. A process in which nothing should be neglected.”

Photo credit: Eriksson

At this point in your reading, one question is probably on your mind: “What kind of player could Filip Eriksson become in the NHL?”

“It’s difficult to talk about exact production numbers, but I can tell you I’m willing to get my feet wet by saying he’s going to be someone who’s extremely reliable in the Bettman scene,” Samuelsson says. And it won’t be exclusively defensively. Montreal made a really good selection in Filip. And I tell you all this while reminding you that I’ve managed some NHL players.”

Most recently, Eriksson received the title of “Excellent Junior Player” in the Allsvenkan as proof of his outstanding season.

Impressive? Certainly.

But in recent years, Mattias Norlinder and Jacob Olofsson (a former CH prospect) have also won this award. This is a pretty telling indicator that dominating the Allsvenkan, even at a young age, is no guarantee of a long NHL career.

However, unlike the two players mentioned above, Eriksson is not a second or third round pick. He is a sixth round pick who did not even expect to be drafted.

And if the season he has just experienced already represents a victory given his injury history and his selection ranking, Eriksson is not satisfied.

“I can’t wait to play in front of the Montreal fans and show them my strengths.”