Calle Odelius Takes on Second Training Camp

Defenseman Calle Odelius is on the ice for his second New York Islanders Training Camp, preparing to make the jump to play his first pro season in North America.

“Everything feels a little bit faster, which is what I noticed at my first camp last year,” Odelius said. “So, I’m getting used to it, working hard on the details of my game, getting ready to make the next step.”

Odelius saw limited action last season due to injury, which limited him to 21 total games. He posted four assists in 10 games for Djurgarden in HockeyAllsvenkan, Sweden’s second tier of pro hockey, before he suffered a broken ankle in November, though he later played six qualification games for Djurgarden and five playoff games for Djurgarden’s junior team.

The Islanders’ 2022 second rounder (65th overall) said he had a productive summer rehabbing, putting in the extra work on the ice and at the gym, and came to Long Island ready for a fresh start.

“Last season was tough, had a long injury, but had a good summer and had some time to get stronger,” Odelius said. “I’m feeling good and it's really nice to be back and meeting all the staff and all my teammates.”

He had a productive summer getting stronger and it showed on paper, as Odelius put on nine pounds of muscle before coming to Long Island for camp, which translated to improved physicality on the ice.

The 20-year-old had a strong showing in his first preseason game on Thursday night against Philly, skating in a pair with Grant Hutton. Odelius logged 17:02, recorded four shot attempts, a hit and a blocked shot, while he notably broke up a two-on-one between Philadelphia's Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost. Head Coach Patrick Roy said he noticed improvement in the young defenseman since the start of camp, pointing out his puck moving ability and skill.

"Odelius had a great game," Roy said on Thursday night. "I was happy to see him on the ice playing and I thought he did really well."

His defensive game is an area of focus for the 20-year-old blueliner, who is working towards being harder on pucks and being tougher to play against overall.

“I’m looking to build some more of my defensive game to be to be harder to play against, in front of net, in the corners, and stuff like that in the d-zone,” Odelius said. “So that's kind of what I'm working on in camp here.”

After a full Rookie Camp and five days into Training Camp, Roy took a good look at the young defenseman and already had solid assessment, recognizing his raw talent.

“We see the skills [and] the talent in him,” Roy said on Monday. “It’s the compete level that we want him to grow and get better at. But for a kid who didn’t play a lot last year, he’s doing a good job.”

Roy took notice to the work Odelius has put in throughout camp, pointing out the increased physicality in grit he's seen in just a few days of hard work.

“I thought he was not getting pushed away, like maybe [he was] a bit at the beginning of the training camp,” Roy said on Thursday night. “So I see improvement, which I love.”

Odelius, who is a native of Nykvarn, Sweden, is acquainted with the Islanders locker room since his camp debut last year and particularly kept in touch with fellow Swede Simon Holmstrom. Adjusting to North American hockey is something Holmstrom can relate to and help with as Odelius makes the transition.

“I met him for the first time last year, he’s a great guy and super nice,” Holmstrom said. “He’s been looking good [in camp]. Coming in that young, especially coming from another country, you’ll always feel more comfortable your second year than the first.”

Odelius is also taking advantage of the mix of rookies and veterans at Training Camp, including Noah Dobson, who had a breakout season last year and is happy to help the young blueliners in the Isles system.

“Odelius is smart out there, he has a good hockey sense and sees the ice really well,” Dobson said. “He had a tough injury last year but he’s looking great so far in camp. We’re all pushing each other, the rookies and veterans alike, which is a great thing.”