Prospects Notebook | Cederqvist developed net-front game in Sweden

Filip Cederqvist stationed himself in front of the opposing net, used his long reach to corral a rebound and push it past the goal line in the Sabres' Prospects Challenge win over the Devils on Saturday.
It was the sort of goal the Sabres organization envisions Cederqvist scoring as he begins his pro career in North America, more than three years after the team drafted him during the fifth round in 2019.

"In the American League and especially the National Hockey League, you got to get to the blue paint, you got to get to the net front," Rochester assistant coach Mike Weber said Friday.
"What I've seen out of him the last couple days is he's a guy that's extremely willing to get there. He's got the frame to handle the beating, the pressure. And he's got nice hands in tight there to finish."

Cederqvist's 6-foot-3, 196-pound frame makes him unique in the Sabres' stable of forwards at the Prospects Challenge, which is ladened with speed, skill, and two-way work ethic but features no players as large as the 22-year-old winger. (Olivier Nadeau, a fourth-round pick who signed his entry-level deal, profiles similarly to Cederqvist in terms of size but is not playing due to a shoulder injury.)
He spent the last two seasons in Sweden learning to use his frame to his advantage offensively, making a concerted effort to crash the net at the correct times. The production followed, first with a 36-point season in Sweden's second tier Allsvenskan league in 2020-21.
He graduated to the Swedish Hockey League last season and scored 14 goals and 32 points in 49 games with Djurgardens IF. He was linemates with the team's leading scorer, former NHL forward Marcus Sorensen.
"I spent a lot of time in front of the net just trying to be strong there," he said.
He developed into a legitimate prospect for the Sabres in the meantime. Director of player development Adam Mair has worked with Cederqvist every step of the way since his draft. Mair and his staff pushed for the organization to reward Cederqvist with the two-year, entry-level deal he received in June.
"Here's a kid that's a late bloomer, wasn't really on the Swedish national team's radar when he was younger, and is just going [upward] at just a slow and steady march," Amerks coach Seth Appert said.
"His work ethic is high, his attitude's great, so those are great kids to work with because you want to be around guys like that. So, that's a credit to him. I think he's gonna be a good fit for us."

The Prospects Challenge will serve as an onboard for Cederqvist into training camp, where he will continue to learn the smaller North American ice surface and the higher pace it demands. He already noticed improvement in that regard from Thursday's opener to Saturday's win over the Devils.
Over time, he expects the smaller surface to work to his advantage.
"I think when I start learning where the spaces are and stuff like that, my game is pretty good for a smaller rink I think, like big and closer to the net," he said. "I think that's a positive for me."

Up next

The Sabres conclude the Prospects Challenge against the Ottawa Senators on Monday afternoon. Tickets are available for $10.
The game will be streamed live on Sabres.com, @BuffaloSabres on Twitter, and on the team's Facebook.