Daniel Rahimi (VLA)
It would be almost impossible to pick a team of Swedes without someone from Växjö's championship winning team being in it, so I have gone for defenseman Daniel Rahimi. The 31 year old had undoubtedly his best season by almost any count - most goals in a season, equal highest Total Points, highest Points Per Game and, perhaps most remarkably, he came second in the whole SHL for plus/ minus behind teammate and wonder kid, Elias Pettersson.
Drafted in 2006 by the Vancouver Canucks, Rahimi then played two years in the AHL, but did not get a chance to play a NHL game and he returned to Sweden for the 2009/10 where he has played all but one year as well as gaining experience in the national team. He played for Linköping HC for four years from 2012/3 and he also gained experience by being part of the national team for Sweden all season that time. For the club he had a more traditional back role, dishing out the big tackles and rough stuff whilst others found the net. But at Växjö he has found different role as the team plays a more mobile form of hockey and the defense is required to play the puck out of trouble. This partly explains the Björklöven trained player's rise up in terms of points and plus/ minus as he moves from destroyer to creator. Whilst I believe this season has seen a more disciplined Rahimi compared to his Linköping days, it is still his main area of weakness. He received a match penalty for two games in a row in November.
@ABritOnThinIce1
