Welcome to the first edition of “Future ‘Spect Spotlight”; A new weekly column that will be brought to you, highlighting the future stars of the NHL. Each week I will be selecting a team and highlighting one of their up-and-coming prospects, to shed some light on some of the young future stars of the game. With a mass of young prospects developing within each NHL organization, there are many who get lost in the shuffle, and aren’t talked about as much as they should be. Here, I will give you some insight on some of these young stars, and provide you with a way to keep up with the ever-growing pool of prospects from around the league.
Today, we take a look at the Anaheim Ducks and one of their young prospects, Max Friberg.
Name: Max Friberg
Height: 5’11” Weight: 197 pounds
Born: Skovde, Sweden Age: 21-years-old
Years Pro: 1st Year
Max Friberg has just recently broke into the big leagues, coming over from Europe, and therefore has been adjusting to North American ice for just over a year now. Friberg arrived at the end of last season and received a few games to get his feet wet at the AHL level, only making the full-time jump to the North American professional ranks this season. There has not been much said about Friberg, or the expectations that the Ducks will have for him going forward, but one thing is for sure; he has all the tools to be a successful NHL player for the team.
Friberg is a 21-year-old Swede, seleced in the 5th round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, who broke out during the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships where he represented Sweden. Throughout the tournament is where he really made an impression, accumulating nine goals and two assists, for 11 points in just six games. Many were impressed with his speed and goal scoring ability, proving that his slick hands and quick release can put the puck into the back of the net. Max was a leader on the Swedish team, and his performance left many in the Anaheim Ducks organization excited to see what he could bring to North American ice.
With prospects such as Rickard Rackell, Stefan Noesen, and Devante Smith-Pelly expected to have a huge impact on the Ducks team going forward, Friberg seems to have been lost in the shuffle and not many have brought up his name when it comes to discussing the team’s prospect pool. But if we take a closer look at the roster, we soon realize that the Ducks are very thin on the left-wing side of things, which is where Friberg would slot in once given a shot at the pros. Aside from Dustin Penner and Matt Beleskey, there is very little in terms of depth on the left-wing on the Ducks roster, which is why there is talks of the team looking to acquire another winger as we get closer to the trade deadline. With such little depth, it should give Friberg even more motivation to push for a spot going forward.
Although Friberg did not make the Ducks roster out of camp, he has spent the season adjusting to the North American ice while playing for their AHL team, the Norfolk Admirals. He has had a solid first year as a pro, racking up 11 goals and 15 assists, for 26 points in 51 games played so far this season. He has been given all the opportunities, and played in many different situations to get used to the pace of the game, and has been doing quite well for himself. Whether he is playing on the power-play or killing penalties, it seems as though Friberg is poised to impress. In the 11 goals he has scored this season, three have come shorthanded, proving that he can be a threat in all situations.
It seems as though there is a bright future ahead for the youngster, as he continues to open many eyes around the Ducks organization, and with the amount of skill he’s shown thus far in his young career, his development should be something that Ducks fans and management should be excited about. Going forward, as you all continue to talk about Anaheim’s prospects such as Rakell, Etem, and Smith-Pelly, among others, one name that you will want to remember and look out for is that of Max Friberg.
Mark my words, the future is bright for the Anaheim Ducks and Max Friberg, that’s for sure.
Stay tuned, as next week I highlight one of the prospects from the gritty Boston Bruins.
Feel free to Tweet me, @LWOSAdamScharfe, your suggestions if there is any prospects you would like to see highlighted in upcoming editions of “Future ‘Spect Spotlight”.
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