New York Rangers Hills Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba have not seen much of Nils Lundkvist than. Still, they are already impressed by the young Swedish defender.
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– They have only had a little voluntary training and so on, and then it has been a development camp. But I have always liked players who think the game very well and I have great respect for those who do, Fox told NHL.com/sv during the NHL / NHLPA Player Media Tour.
Adam Fox has only done two seasons in the NHL, but the 23-year-old has done well so far. Last year he scored 47 points (5 + 42) in 55 games and won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defender. So it is not from anyone that the warming words about Lundkvist come.
Video: The best from Norris Trophy winner Fox
– He seems to be a guy who knows just that and he has done well before. So I look forward to seeing more of him, Fox continued.
When the 2021-22 season begins, Nils Lundkvist can make his debut in the Rangers shirt. Lundkvist was drafted as number 28 in total in 2018, and after two years in Luleå and SHL, he is ready to take the step to North America. The expectations from their own teammates already seem to be high.
– He reminded me a bit of Adam Fox when he came to his first camp. I’ve only been on ice with him a couple of times so far, but he has the same mindset and gaze as Fox. He can move and be very elusive. It’s tough to be compared to Fox, I do not want to put it on him, but everyone can probably see the parallel, says Trouba about Lundkvist.
Fox can also see similarities with the 21-year-old Swede.
– We are both a little smaller, we are both right-handed slopes, so from the little I have seen I have noticed some similarities, I definitely look forward to seeing more of him, says Fox.
Lundkvist has been to Rangers development camp, but soon the real camp is approaching and the search for a place in the premiere team can begin.
– It has been some good weeks. We have competed well in training. It has been some good weeks, high intensity and many skilled players here. It will be fun to come to the main camp now, says Lundkvist.
Nils Lundkvist is not the only one who impresses Fox and Trouba. During the Players Media Tour, they also poured their admiration for another Rangers Swede. Namely Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad scored his sixth in the Rangers last season and supported 50 points (24 + 26) in 56 games.
Video: Top-5 from Zibanejad 2021
During his time at Rangers, Zibanejad has been one of the team’s most supporting players. His speed, playfulness and shots have made him a weapon in the attack zone.
– You never know with Mika, he can score three goals a night and you are not surprised, Fox says.
Or five goals, as in the game against the Washington Capitals on March 5, 2020. Or six points as in the games against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 17 and 25 this year.
– Yes exactly, or five goals. When he gets started, he is a player that many trust in our team. In PK, in powerplay, he is a two-way player, says Fox.
Defending against Zibanejad is not an easy task, says Fox, and is supported by Trouba:
– It helps one if you can learn to play against different types of players. A player like (Artemi) Panarin can win against you in a one-on-one situation, make a little move that you were not involved in. Mika can shoot straight through one, he can lower his shoulder and get through the shots. He has so many different tools in his box, but both are dangerous and not the most fun to encounter during a workout.
[Läs också: Trouba, Fox glömmer inte tiden med Lundqvist]
With Zibanejad, Lundkvist, Fox and Trouba in the team, Rangers aims this year to become a playoff team again. The club has in recent years changed in both the organization and in the team and there is an optimism for the upcoming season.
– I think the team management has received more pieces for the puzzle. I think we have taken the next step and that we are not in a rebuild for long. At a certain time, you have to turn on the button and switch from remodeling to playoff challengers. I think we are ready to hit that button now… turn leaves I should say and nothing else, and it is something to look forward to, says Trouba.
He who will lead the team there is Gerard Gallant, who has been hired as the new coach of Rangers for the coming season.
– I have only heard good things from everyone who has had him. I look forward to getting started with him. I do not know much about his system, we have not gone into it yet. But if you look at the successes he has had with the Panthers and Vegas, we all look forward to getting started with him, Fox concludes.
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