Blackhawks prospect Tim Soderlund thriving back home in Sweden

Blackhawks prospect Tim Soderlund thriving back home in Sweden
By Scott Powers
Dec 16, 2020

Tim Soderlund had been informally practicing with Almtuna IS for a few weeks before the Blackhawks officially loaned him to the Swedish team.

Even at that point, Soderlund had an important question for coach Robert Kimby before they got going for real.

“The first thing he told me was, ‘Well, how strict are you system-wise and stuff like that?’” Kimby said recently by phone.

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Kimby then asked Soderlund how strict he thought Kimby had been in practice so far. Soderlund replied he hadn’t been that strict.

“Well, this is the way it’s going to be,” Kimby recalled saying.

Soderlund can attest to that after 20 games with Almtuna, which plays in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second division. He and Kimby both believe Soderlund probably needs to be more adaptive to team structure, especially defensively, when he returns to North America. But for now, that freedom was exactly what Soderlund needed in his game.

“I want him to feel like he was freed; he got to really play his style,” Kimby said. “Like I said, he needs to learn to play a little bit more within the system. And I want him to feel like he got the extra work he needed. He got a chance to find his confidence a little bit because I think he needed that. I wanted him to feel like he had a good time. Not only playing hockey, but having fun playing hockey. I believe he did.”

Soderlund concurred. It’s not that hockey wasn’t fun last season, but it was a season of learning, adjusting and handling some adversity. It was his first season under contract with the Blackhawks and playing in North America after previously being in Sweden and playing in the SHL.

Soderlund’s game is all about speed, and he had to figure out how to use it on the smaller ice sheet. He could get on opponents quicker on the forecheck, but he also found he had less time to build speed with the puck. The Blackhawks slowly broke him in. He played some games with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL. He sat on the bench some games. He was also sent to the Indy Fuel of the ECHL to play some more. He had three points in 29 AHL games and six points in seven ECHL games last season.

Overall, Soderlund was pleased with his first year, but he also recognized he lost some of his confidence and too often resorted to the easy play.

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With Almtuna, Soderlund broke those habits. It took him some time, but he started asserting himself offensively and defensively. He took away pucks, made plays and scored goals. Over the last 10 games, he had been one of the more dominant players in the league, scoring seven goals and dishing out four assists. In the previous 10 games, he had two goals and two assists.

“I feel like now I’m used to it again,” Soderlund said by phone. “I feel like I got back my confidence with the puck and taking the shots, instead of just going to the corners. That’s one of the things I’ve been improving this year. If we lose the puck, I can forecheck and take the puck back really fast and start creating offense again.”


Tim Soderlund has nine goals and six assists in 20 games for Almtuna. (Johnny Andersson)

Playing in HockeyAllsvenskan isn’t the same thing as playing in the SHL or AHL, but it is a decent level of competition. Plus, there are other NHL-contracted players on loan in Sweden. For Soderlund, though, this experience helped create something he can build on when he returns to the Blackhawks.

“I created a lot of chances, but I wasn’t really good at getting the goals to go in,” said Soderlund, who was drafted by the Blackhawks in the fourth round in 2017. “I have practiced a lot to take all the shots given to me and try to score every time.”

Kimby gave Soderlund his freedom because it was to his and the team’s benefit. But Kimby has also stressed certain areas that should help when Soderlund returns to North America.

“In the smaller ice, you need to be quicker releasing the puck, you need to be quicker releasing the shot,” Kimby said. “I think he’s good in small areas, the quick turns, creating space, but then releasing the puck in the right situations, I think that’s what he offensively needs to work on. Defensively, you know, shooting lanes and being in the right positions in his own zone. I kind of had him on a big leash. I let him be the player that he is. But if you play AHL or if you want to go even higher, you have to stay within the system, be kind of strict. I think that’s something he also needs to learn.”

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Soderlund agreed. He understands his future with the Blackhawks may rest on that. No one doubts Soderlund has the speed and hands to potentially be an NHL player, but whether he gets there will likely depend on how much of a team player he can become.

“I feel like on defense I need to play the system,” said Soderlund, who turns 23 on Jan. 23. “That’s the thing I’m trying to learn really well so the players can trust me when I’m on the ice. On the offensive side, I need to play with a lot of give and go with my teammates. I think last year I took the puck too much myself and skated. I think I’m improved a lot in being able to play with my teammates and create chances together.”

Almtuna had to pause its schedule in November due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Soderlund said he tested positive, but he had mild symptoms, which included loss of smell and taste.

Almtuna resumed play in late November, and while Soderlund will return for the Blackhawks’ training camp, he wasn’t sure when he would depart Sweden.

Kimby will be sad to see him go. Soderlund has been one of the team’s top players. Kimby wasn’t sure whether Soderlund would come in with a big head having played at higher levels, but Soderlund has worked hard, been coachable and sometimes asks for longer practices.

“From the first day, he just wanted to play good for us and he wanted to play,” Kimby said. “It’s been easy in the way he really listens, actually. That was one thing I hadn’t thought of him before. I thought he would play his way, but he’s been trying and he listens and he wants to work on his game.

“I still think that he needs to learn how to play a little bit better within the defensive system, like I said, offensively, give and go and making quicker decisions sometimes. But skill-wise, I think he’s been top in the league, speed, stick-handling, shot. He has a great shot. I think he should use it way more than he does. But it’s been fun. He’s a funny guy. I don’t know how to explain it, but his thoughts are everywhere, and he’s been a good injection for our group, too.”

(Photo: Johnny Andersson)

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Scott Powers

Scott Powers is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Blackhawks. Previously, he covered the Blackhawks and the White Sox for ESPN Chicago. He has also written for the Daily Herald and the Chicago Sun-Times and has been a sportswriter in the Chicagoland area for the past 15 years. Follow Scott on Twitter @byscottpowers