Earlier this month, I put out the call looking for new writers for In Lou We Trust to write about the New Jersey Devils. I've opened up the audition to the community at large in order to get some new perspectives and additional voices on the front page with regularity. Since then, I've received eleven entries. Regardless of how they're received, I thank the writers of each and every one of them - you know who you are - for stepping up and submitting an entry.
Throughout the next two weeks, I will post each one under an anonymous name so you can discuss and critique the post without regard to who actually wrote it. I can ensure you that I did not change any of the content outside of formatting it in to the SBN platform. To that end, please note that I don't necessarily agree with what the posts actually say. I'm just letting them stand on their own. Please be constructive in any criticism and do offer your thoughts about whether you liked (or disliked) the post in addition to discussing it's content. Don't be mean, but be fair.
This eighth entry comes from Writer I devilsfan18, who made their submission on July 20. I assure you, I got this entry then because it focuses on a player Tom wrote about yesterday: Mattias Tedenby. Writer I devilsfan18 thinks highly enough of Tedenby and decided to go into more details about his career and future as a whole. Please continue on after the jump to see those details.
I am going to take a look at one of the Devils' top prospects, Mattias Tedenby. Tedenby has a variety of nicknames - Ted, Teddy, Teddy Bear, or my personal favorite: Tedenbeast. Alright, let the fun begin!
Mattias Tedenby was drafted by New Jersey 24th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He was born in Vetlanda, Sweden on February 21, 1990. The twenty-one year old Swede is only 5'10″ tall, and weighs roughly 175 pounds according to his player bio at the Devils website. During this past season, Tedenby played a total of 43 games in the NHL, posting 1 goal and 5 assists for a total of 6 points, had a +/- rating of -15 (yikes!), with 16 penalty minutes and 46 shots on goal. His last NHL game of the season before being sent to the AHL for the remainder of the season was on January 17, 2012 against the Jets at the Prudential Center, which he had 17 shifts and a total of 13:05 in that game. He had no points or penalty minutes.
Things were looking better for Tedenby with the Albany Devils (AHL) once he got sent down. Through 35 games played, Tedenby netted 4 goals and had 14 helpers, for a total of 20 points. He was even at 0 in the +/- category at season's end, and had 22 penalty minutes. Those numbers are definitely an improvement, but the NHL and AHL are two completely different beasts. I can't honestly say that I payed much attention to Tedenby after he was sent down to the AHL, but I did hear a lot of good things about him at the end of the season. I'll get into that further at a later point in this article. Mattias received a talent rating of 8.0 on his profile at Hockey's Future, with a grade of "C" in the probability of success category.
Alright, enough of the stats. Let's hear my opinion on Tedenbeast, shall we? I will start out by saying that Tedenby has outstanding speed and acceleration. He can go from 0 to top speed in a very short period of time. He's got great hands and can pull off some very good dekes. He's got a great work ethic on the offensive side of the puck, but on the defensive side, he has low awareness and seems lazy out there at times. Tedenby reminds me a lot of former Devil Brian Gionta, and current Devil Stephen Gionta. He's a gritty player and can "dance," as they say, as well as land quite a few hits. He's got the explosive speed of the Gionta's, and the "knock me down, I'll get right back up" mentality. Ted may be small, but he is fearless and will take a hit to make a play. Even if he does get hit, he will come right back and try to keep the puck or get it back. He also has great balance, despite being seen on down on the ice rather frequently. Teddy can also find exposed areas of the net and put the puck there. He has the looks of a sniper, but also has the mentality of a playmaker. He's got great hockey sense, and is not afraid to shoot the puck. His shot is a powerful one, and is deadly accurate. That goes for both his wrist shot and slap shot. He definitely needs to improve on the defensive end of the puck. Tedenby needs to add some more pounds, preferably of muscle, which would help improve his physical play.
Looking to the future, I think Tedenby can and will improve. He has the potential to be a second line winger, 3rd line at the least. This is the year he's got to prove himself though. I think Peter DeBoer left the slot Ponikarovsky left on the 3rd line open for Tedenby, so it's his to lose. If we see anything less than 20 goals out of Tedenby when he is fully developed, I think we've got a problem. He should be putting up at least 40 points a season, probably closer to 50, if he is used right. Once he works better on the defensive end of the puck, which I know DeBoer will make him into a better defensive player, I think Tedenby will be golden. He can be a top-6 forward, and I think he will be when he gets to his late twenties. I do expect Mattias to earn a permanent spot in the Devils' line-up this year. I would be shocked if he didn't. Like I said earlier, I think the spot will be there, and it's his to lose.
From Tom Gulitti's Fire & Ice Blog:
There will be more of a chance for those within the organization, such as 2008 first-round pick Mattias Tedenby, to show what they can do, though. Center Jacob Josefson, whose development has been slowed by injuries the last two seasons, should also get an opportunity to show if he can play regularly on the top three lines.
"There's no question that Tedenby will get every opportunity," Lamoriello said. "Not only him, other players."
Lamoriello also said that Tedenby will not be participating in the Devils' development camp that starts in a week. You can check out a video of all of Tedenby's goals from the 2010-2011 campaign by clicking here. You can also check out another video featuring some of Ted's goals from his days in Sweden, and in New Jersey by clicking here.
Editor's Note: Now that you read Writer I devilsfan18's in-depth look at Mattias Tedenby, I want to know what you think about it. Did this in-depth look go in-depth enough? What else, if anything, should Writer I devilsfan18 have done? Do you agree with Writer I devilsfan18's prediction that Tedenby will be a top-six forward? What did you think about how Writer I devilsfan18 wrote this post? Based on how it was written and what was it about, is this the kind of post you would want to see regularly at In Lou We Trust? Please leave your answers and other comments about this post in the comments. Thanks go to Writer I devilsfan18 for the submission and thank you for reading.