Nils Tallinder Scouting Report

[Patrik Tallinder 1,071]

Nils Tallinder wasted no time in proving his value as a two-way centerman in his short stint with the VHLM’s Miami Marauders in S76. Tallinder totalled some impressive numbers in a relatively sheltered third line role throughout 15 regular season games and 6 postseason games.

 

The young Swede posted an overall faceoff percentage of 52.19% through his 21 games, which is nice to see at his age. This is definitely an area of strength that he looks to build on even further in the future. Another aspect of defense that is held in high regard in the VHL is physicality, which Tallinder lacks at the moment. Hopefully he can work on this, because his 6’3” frame suggests that he has the tools to do so.

 

However, it is not all about defense for him. In 21 games with the Marauders, he potted 3 goals and 8 points. As mentioned previously, he was placed in more of a depth role in Miami because the team was competing with an already deep lineup. In the regular season, Tallinder averaged 11.61 minutes per game, and was cashing in on 0.69 points per 20 minutes of ice time. This rate was 9th on the team. In the playoffs, his ice time dipped slightly to 10.17 minutes per game, and he was scoring at a pace of 0.66 points per 20 minutes. This placed him 2nd on the Marauders, which is quite admirable for a deadline waiver pickup.

 

Tallinder was drafted 2nd overall by the Minnesota Storm in the S77 VHLM Dispersal Draft, and he hopes to compete for a Founder’s Cup this season with them. This high of a selection brings with it a multitude of expectations, but Nils knows that he can handle it. He has been in the public eye for years now simply based on the name on the back of his jersey, so this is nothing new to him.

 

What Nils Tallinder will bring to a VHL club is a reliable scoring threat that plays hard at both ends of the rink. Ideally, his physical play will improve over time in order for him to be considered among the league’s top two-way forces, but he is certainly off to a sensational start. Another step that needs to be taken to solidify himself as an elite player is an adjustment to his skating. He does not bend his knees enough when skating, which noticeably limits his already powerful stride. If that improves, Tallinder will find himself with a dangerous combination of speed and strength on the puck.