Player Preview: Jakob Silfverberg
By Jason Byun
Mar 10, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Paul Ranger (15) and Anaheim Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg (33) battle for the puck during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Before the 2013-2014 season began, the Ducks made waves in the offseason, dealing veteran scoring winger Bobby Ryan to the Ottawa Senators for a package that included forward prospect Stefan Noesen, a 2014 1st round draft pick, and young winger Jakob Silfverberg. Silfverberg was tied for second on the Senators in goals, with 10, and he also tied for the lead in +/- and had the most total shots on goal for Ottawa in the lockout season. Silfverberg entered the 2013-2014 season as an option to replace Ryan’s spot on the top-six after having a strong season as a good, complementary winger in the capital of Canada.
Silfverberg got off to a torrid start in Anaheim, scoring four goals and seven points in the team’s first 11 games. However, a broken right hand caused Silfverberg to miss 24 games over the course of two months. After his return from the injury, Silfverberg did not have the same impact on the Ducks’ offense, and after occupying a top-six role during his time in Anaheim, Silfverberg eventually became a mainstay on the checking line with Andrew Cogliano and Saku Koivu.
In his sophomore NHL season, Silfverberg matched his rookie total of 10 goals while setting new career highs of 13 assists and 23 points. He was also selected to play for Team Sweden in Sochi, scoring one assist in six games en route to a silver medal, albeit in a bottom-six role.
During the postseason, Silfverberg retained his role on the checking line and often faced one of the opposition’s top forward lines. He managed to score two goals in the 13 playoff games and ended the postseason with a -3 rating. Because the team utilized Silfverberg in order to neutralize opponents offensively, he never got a chance to assert himself in any offensive chances. After the season, Silfverberg entered as a restricted free agent and negotiated a one year contract worth $850,500.
Silfverberg is still a young player who has upside and room to grow into his game. He’s a solid two-way winger who can win his battles in all three zones of the ice. Silfverberg showed flashes of being a force on the top-six before his injury, and the Ducks need more production from their forwards if they want to truly take steps forward as a team this season. Silfverberg got a short-term deal, but he needs to improve and produce for the team if he wants to get a secure pay raise. These next few pages will detail what Silfverberg’s strengths and weaknesses are.
*Note: The analytics part of these scouting reports has been postponed, as ExtraSkater has gone offline after its creator, Darryl Metcalf, was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of their new analytics department. One of the best parts about ExtraSkater was the sheer amount of information it had and how easy it was to interpret its figures. I’m sure another metrics site will arise with an equally impressive bank of data, but until it is created, the possession, puck luck, and shift strength parts of these reports will not be happening.