Leksand has lost six (!) Players to the NHL.
That means a real jingle at the checkout.
– Of course it is positive with money, says general manager Thomas Johansson to Aftonbladet.
Leksand had a great season and were happy with the squad they were on when the SHL ended this spring. But in recent weeks, lots of players have left, and in total the general manager can count as many as nine players who have signed for other clubs.
Enormous cash flow
Losing Max Veronneau was no big deal, as he was perhaps the whole SHL’s best player last season – but in addition to the star, as many as five players have signed for the NHL. These are Calle Själin, Emil Heineman, Isak Rosén, Nils Åman and Filip Cederqvist who will all test their luck in North America.
That means a real jingle in the coffers for the Dala team. In total, as a result of all NHL contracts written by players in the club, you get a full 16 million kroner, writes Aftonbladet. That’s most of all in the SHL.
– The guys who disappear at these young ages are usually not our most expensive players. And if we are to recruit players with the corresponding expected delivery from some of the guys this season, it is clear that it will be much more expensive. Somehow it can be a plus-minus-zero based on what you lose and in such cases should recruit in, if you now aim for the upper layer. Because these guys are about to really make an impact and then you want to have them both financially and sportingly. Of course it is positive with money, but it is not the case that we bathe in an abundance, Johansson says to the newspaper.
“Has never happened before”
But otherwise these are busy days for Thomas Johansson. He had not counted on many player losses, but rather that he would “fine-tune with a single place”. He says he has never experienced anything like it.
– No, I have not actually done that. I could have imagined that Max (Veronneau) would disappear, it was a great chance. Then there was probably someone else I knew “absolutely, so it can be”. But that it would be sex in the end, I did not lie and thought about in April immediately.
However, Thomas Johansson feels most joy over all the players who have actually succeeded.
– It is fun for the whole of Leksand as an organization. It was not long since we were in the hockey allsvenskan and now all of a sudden we have six guys signing in the NHL. I never think it happened in Leksand’s history. So I’m incredibly proud of the job the club is putting in and incredibly happy for the guys.
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