Staffan Kronwall, brother of Detroit blueliner Niklas Kronwall (MLN FAB50 Hockey 2005 No. 2), arrived from Sweden this fall and quickly proved to be far more polished than the Leafs could have hoped for. Certainly more so than the standard ninth round draft choice, which is how far he fell in the the 2002 draft.
From the outset, Kronwall showed an abundance of offensive skill, especially playing the point on the power play, first for the Marlies, and soon enough, for the Leafs, who promoted him just after Christmas.
"I'm a big fan of his game," said Marlies coach Paul Maurice, "because it's an all around game. He can do a little bit on the power play, kill penalties, and play a regular five on five shift. As we see this game going forward, I like the way he isn't uni-dimensional at all. He can move the puck forward, he can skate. He mixed it up with Eric Lindros in training camp, so he doesn't mind the physical play. I think he's very strong."
Kronwall has good size, which he uses more for positioning than for impact, and can move that lanky frame with rather swiftly, which helps keep speedy forwards from stepping past him.
"The rinks are smaller (than in Europe) so there's a lot more speed in the game" Kronwall said. "With the new rules, you have to move your feet and your stick all the time, and get to the right spot. I still feel I need to be more aggressive in the defensive zone. I'm a big guy, and maybe I need to be stronger."
- Dan Hickling
