Forwards: Strandberg, Axelsson and Jonsson Fjällby (DIF) v Lasch, Rakhshani and Fagemo (FHC)
Djurgården is overflowing with Swedish forward talent. The three I have named are the top three scorers in the playoffs but in the regular season it was Jacob Lilja, Daniel Brodin and Jacob Josefsson that lead the way. And that doesn't account for young drafted players such as the Davidsson brothers and Emil Bemström.
This is a team designed to score goals and the challenge for Frölunda will be to match, and ultimately neutralize, this threat.
Sebastian Strandberg was an unknown until this season having played in HV71s youth teams. But the 26 year old has been steadily developing over the last four years playing in the North American ECHL, Denmark and then the Hockeyallsvenskan until this breakthrough year in the SHL.
By contrast Dick Axelsson (pictured, white helmet) at 31 represents one of the most experienced players on the squad and is coming into his prime after a relatively quiet regular season.
Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2006 he only had a short spell in their AHL team before returning to Sweden. Although born in Stockholm, this is his first season back at the club which gave him his first taste of SHL hockey back in 2007. He has consistently been a member of Team Sweden when the North Americans players are excluded. This playoffs have seen him to rise to his full potential and arguably play some of the best hockey of his career.
Axel Jonsson Fjällby represents the young super talented group of Djurgården players who have excelled at the Junior World Championships, got drafted by NHL and are on the cusp of breaking through into their respective AHL squads. Aged between 19-22 of these four - Bemström, Marcus Davidsson and brother Jonathan - it is only Jonsson-Fjällby has so far played in North America. That was with the Washington Capitals' devoplment team, Hershey Bears.
All four are game changers and that doesn't account for the fact that they also have NHL experience returnees Niclas Bergfors and Josefsson on the squad too.
Frölunda Indians are not short of talent up front too, but it is not so broadly spread and concentrated in fewer players, not least American, Ryan Lasch (pictured in green helmet)
At 5'6" (170 cm) his height has probably the only thing that had prevented him from a successful career in his home country where he has only played 30 games in the AHL. But in Europe it has been non-stop success with top scorers awards and national championship finals in all three countries he has played in. He is in his fourth season at Frölunda and was part of the double winning team in 2015/6 when he was the SHL and CHL top scorer and top assist getter. The only thing that's missing in comparison to three years ago - the SHL championship.
If Djurgården can shut down 32 year old Lasch they cut off the club's most prolific and creative player - a must if they want to spoil the Gothenburg team's party.
Another 30+ Californian whose has had made a big impact here is 31 year old, New York Islanders drafted Rhett Rakhshani. He had two successful seasons in their AHL development club where he gained a Point Per Game and even got to play a handful of matches for the Islanders.
He is now in his fifth club in seven years here in Sweden and is finally starting to show the form he had when with Växjö Lakers and they won their first SHL championship in 2014/5 and the American won the competition for most points in the playoffs- the same position he holds today.
Finally we have 19 year old Samuel Fagermo - Frölunda's answer to Jonsson Fjällby et al. He played his first Junior World Championship this winter and will surely be drafted this summer.
He shown in the regular season with 14G+11A making him the team's second highest goal scorer behind Simon Hjälmarsson. Whilst the 30 year old St Louis Blues drafted centre continues to produce in the playoffs, the youngster hasn't reached his full potential. He only scored his first goal in the postseason against Luleå in the semifinals.
It is hard to separate the two, the Stockholm team with a spread of young talented players against a smaller group on of mature players from Gothenburg. I'm going to give it to Djurgården as they have more match winners - especially Dick Axelsson.
Advantage: Djurgården
@ABritOnThinIce1
