The Hockey News’s Ryan Kennedy spoke with Red Wings prospect and Frolunda Indians center Theodor Niederbach, who’s been given a tremendous opportunity to center Sweden’s top World Junior Championship line of Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz due to Karl Henriksson’s positive coronavirus test.
As Niederbach already told HockeyNews.se, he’s not fazed by having been afforded such a pressure-packed opportunity:
“Both Holtz and Raymond are really skilled players and the role of the center between them is maybe more about defensive responsibility,” Niederbach said. “I may not be a two-way center like Karl Henriksson, but if I play with Holtz and Raymond, I can take that responsibility in the ‘D’ zone and complete those two. I will do everything I can to take the opportunity – I want to be a leading player; I can take that role.”
Luckily for Niederbach, he already has some experience stepping up this season. The teen center made his SHL debut this year for Frolunda, getting into 11 games after thrashing the junior circuit for 35 points in 19 games.
“It’s a big difference, from the players to the game itself,” he said. “It’s faster, but the more I played, the more comfortable I’ve been with the puck to make good plays. I think I’ve done decent in the SHL so far.”
Continued, with insights from Red Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff…
