AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > August > 03
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Tobias Enstrom: Super Swede
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Among the few bright spots last season was the surprisingly strong play of Tobias Enstrom. The native of Nordingra, Sweden didn’t even celebrate his 23rd birthday until a month into the season, but the Thrashers defender played as though he had been around this league for several years. Paired up with Nic Havelid, they were the most dependable D-line all year long.
Toby was a workhorse for Atlanta averaging 24:28 ATOI. Last March versus Minnesota he logged an amazing 33:39 time on the ice, helping his team to a 3-2 shootout win against the eventual Northwest Division champs. It seemed like all Don Waddell had to do was wind him up and let him go…the Energizer Bunny of the team he certainly was.
Enstrom also was of great help on the O-fensive side of the blueline as well. His 5 goals may not seem like a huge amount, but they were the most scored by any of the Thrashers defenders. However, his 33 assists tied Eric Perrin for second highest on the entire team…just two shy of Ilya Kovalchuk’s 35.
If the Thrashers look to have any measure of success this coming year, one of the reasons most certainly will be if Tobias Enstrom builds upon his rookie success. Personally, I would be surprised if anything other were to be the case for our Super Swede.
Other Items For Your Reading Pleasure
Chris Thorburn recently helped out at the C.H.O.A. “Rehab Summer Games” at Philips Arena. As Chris obviously knows, you can never go wrong helping out with children. Well done, Thorny!
If you were making plans to attend the January 10th Thrashers game against the Panthers down in Sunrise, Florida…please take note of the changed start time.
Steve Yzerman has a word of advice for Mats Sundin and Joe Sakic in regards to whether or not to hang up the skates. If you have any doubts about it whatsoever…don’t!
Jay Bouwmeester is obviously a “short-timer” in the Panthers organ-I-zation. But Allan Muir discusses the possibility that maybe Florida should package him up now. So…what do you think it might be worth to see the young Edmonton native who was selected right after Kari Lehtonen suited up in Thrasher blue?
It seems as though the Thrashers are not the only team in the league that will be looking to the young-uns to help out this year.
Last season, Atlanta had a miserable record in respect to back-to-back games. In a recent piece for HockeyBuzz.com, Kat Kealy discusses how such games affect teams.
And finally…the world’s oldest joke has been traced back to about 1900 B.C., (I think that might mean “Before Comicus-Maximus). Anyway, it’s nice to see that sophomoric potty jokes and crude comedic content were alive and well back in the day!
