Calgary's 2021 second-round draft choice believes he is ready for an AHL spot
William Stromgren took a small step when he suited up for a pair of Calgary Wranglers games late last season.
The quest for the big left winger, and Calgary Flames 2021 second-round draft choice, is to make a full-time leap into the AHL ranks this coming season.
After signing an entry-level contract with the Flames in March and playing a couple of Wranglers road games in April, Stromgren expects to push for a spot when training camp opens.
“It’s pretty much every emotion. You’re excited to come here, but you’re nervous to play hockey in Canada. But you’ve got to come with open arms,” Stromgren said during last week’s summer prospects camp. “It’s gonna be a big change from Sweden, but I think over time, it’s going to be better and better. I’m excited.”
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound product of Sweden spent the bulk of last season with Brynas IF Gavle in the nation's top league, and collected three goals and eight points in 45 games. He also netted one assist in seven games at the world juniors, where Sweden lost to the US in overtime in the bronze-medal game.
Stromgren will have plenty of adjustments to make, both on and off the ice in North America, but the Flames have high hopes for him, albeit aware he will need development time.
“His ability with the puck and his vision of the game stand out to me,” said Flames assistant GM Brad Pascall. “He’s got good size, really strong ability. It’s just about being a young guy maturing. We’re looking forward to having him in the fold and will give him a good opportunity to show his skill.”
Through all of last season Stromgren was also preparing to make the jump in 2023-24, and asked Brynas teammates with NHL experience, such as Johan Larsson — a veteran of nearly 500 games with Minnesota, Buffalo, Arizona and Washington — how to prepare for the opportunity.
“They told me how you approach the game, the media, how you want to be as a person. You don’t want to show up and be disrespectful because you’ll end up on the wrong side,” Stromgren said. “Most of it was on the ice, things like board battles, small technical stuff, … how defenders react to different situations and how you should prepare yourself. How you bring your best to the ice.”
Plus, with those two games of experience, Stromgren feels more prepared for the future.
“Everything happens quicker. You’ve got to shoot faster. You’ve got to see the game faster. It came as a bit of a shock for me when I played those two games with the Wranglers and I learned you’ve got to be ready for it. You don’t get a lot of time when you get the puck. They’re going to hit you if you’re not ready,” he said.
“I can take a lot from those games. I think the practices (in development camp) are helping me prepare. When we do one-on-ones, two-on-ones, it’s tighter, so you’ve got to be faster, shoot for rebounds, all those technical things.”
