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.”
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.”