CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The Penguins' annual development camp had somewhat of a different feel this year. There were no attendees that were Wilkes-Barre/Scranton regulars last season, and most players were going to be returning to Europe, college, or junior hockey next season. Hardly any of these players were going to see time in a Wilkes-Barre uniform anytime soon.
One camp attendee who will be making his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton debut next season is 21-year-old Swedish center Linus Olund, the Penguins' fifth round (155th overall) pick in 2017.
Even though he'll be a rookie next season, Linus Olund (pronounced LEE-nus OH-loonde, although he says LIE-nus is also fine) is further along and more mature than some of his future rookie teammates in Wilkes-Barre. He was drafted at 20 years old after going undrafted in his first two years of eligibility, and has spent the last three seasons playing with Brynas IF in the SHL, the top Swedish men's league.
Olund signed his three-year entry-level deal with the Penguins on April 25, following the conclusion of his season with Brynas, and reported to Wilkes-Barre on an amateur tryout contract. He didn't get to play any games, with Wilkes-Barre getting swept in the first round shortly after, but he was able to train with the team. Olund is pretty confident in his ability to adjust to North American hockey next season, based on his limited experiences.
"Of course it's going to be a few weeks, few games to adjust, but I think I'm going to do that pretty well," he was telling me at camp. "I've been over here playing some tournaments with the national team, and it has gone okay. So I'm pretty comfortable coming over."
Penguins development coach Jarrod Skalde doesn't foresee Olund having a problem adjusting to the North American game, either.
"I've been to Sweden, and I've seen those rinks, and they're just massive," Skalde said after Day 3 of camp. "You look at a sheet of ice and you just can't believe it. But I think they adjust pretty quick, especially a guy like (Olund) ... Maybe the physicality. And some of these guys love it ... They're so more informed now and they understand what they're getting into. I think it's a very quick adjustment for a lot of these guys."
Olund, a left-handed shot, describes himself as a "small, two-way centerman who can play both sides of the rink, defensively and offensively." Brynas' Director of Player Development, Tomas Thelin, has praised Olund's hockey IQ, attention to detail, fitness, and character off the ice, as well as his leadership in the locker room.
While defense is the area of the game where Olund excels the most, he's had success offensively in Sweden as well. He finished the regular season seventh on Brynas IF in scoring, scoring eight goals and 15 assists in 51 games. In the postseason, he scored two goals and three assists in eight games to tie for second in team scoring.
These goals in Brynas' 2016-17 playoff series with HV71 show Olund's (No.36) offensive abilities:
In the 2017-18 season especially, Olund scored a number of "dirty" goals from having a strong net-front presence, not unlike that of fellow Swede Patric Hornqvist:
When describing what Penguins fans can expect to see from him next season, Olund again sounded confident in his play.
"I think I can put up some points, play (penalty kill) and power play. I'm great all around, I can do everything," he said.
One area where Olund is lacking is his skating. He is able to get off to an explosive start, but maintaining the speed is a problem. Even though North American-style hockey is faster than European hockey, and the Penguins' system has an especially fast style of play, Olund doesn't foresee the speed of the game being an issue for him.
"I think I can manage that," he said. "I'm pretty good at seeing the ice and good passing, so I don't think it's going to be a bad thing."
With such a strong overall game, what does Olund want to focus on improving for next season?
"Everything," he said. "I just want to come over and learn how to play over here. The system, the staff, get to know them."
He paused.
"And someday, maybe play up here."
