What has Ruff heard from the Rochester coaching staff about his newest player?
“Nothing but good – the way he’s played, the way he’s defended, how well he’s operated with the puck. He’s put together a real good year down there.”
Despite his early-season slump, which Ostlund credits Rochester assistant coach Vinny Prospal for helping him snap out of, the center ranks third on the Americans in goals (19) and is tied for fifth in points (36).
Once drafted, the Stockholm, Sweden native played two professional seasons in his home country. Swedish teams demand defensive responsibility from their young centers, but the tighter-checking style of North American hockey has still been a difficult adjustment.
“It’s a lot tougher,” Ostlund said. “Everything gets tighter, so you get closer to everyone every time. So I think that was a change, too, from playing overseas.”
Having excelled this season with Rochester, and in back-to-back years at the World Junior Championship, Ostlund has evidently adjusted well enough to the North American game. Ruff applauds him for holding his own defensively – a non-negotiable for NHL centers – while scoring in bunches.
Buffalo’s top three lines, too, have been scoring at will lately. Ruff doesn’t want to disrupt their chemistry, so Ostlund is expected to center a line with Beck Malenstyn and Sam Lafferty in his debut. He also practiced as the net-front man on the second power-play unit.
“I only get one first game, so I’m gonna try to take everything in and play my game out there,” he said. “It’s gonna be a cool experience.”
Here’s more from Friday’s practice.
