Bengt Gustafsson was in the press box last night and met up with Nicklas Backstrom after the game. I ran into him during the first intermission, but I didn't have my tools of the trade (i.e. tape recorder, notepad, etc.) with me. He is coming to the Caps contest at the Phone Booth against Calgary, so I may formally chat him up then.
He said he thinks Backstrom is having a good season and is not surprised at all that his game has improved so much since getting comfortable or that it took him a little while to not be so shy.
His son, Anton, is one of the top draft eligible players in Sweden, and recently appeared in his first elite league game. He plays for Frolunda, whose junior team has produced several high draft picks in the past couple of seasons. Bengt said Anton's season is going well and he is getting ready for IIHF U-18 tournament in Kazan, Russia next month. That's the last big international event before the draft and guys can make a big push with a strong tournament (Kyle Turris dominated for Canada last year and went from nice prospect from a Junior B team to elite status and eventually the No. 3 overall pick.)
Gustafsson said he watched the last draft on TV, but he expects to be there in person this June to support his son, who is currently considered a late first/early second round talent from what I've read (I am a bit of a draft/prospects junkie if that hasn't become clear already).
Obviously, it would make for a great story (and an easy one to write) if the Caps were to pick Anton. Bengt did say that Anton decided to play for Frolunda and not Färjestads BK (the team his father starred for and later coached) because he wanted to create his own path and didn't want to always be measured against his dad's legacy.
I also had to ask him about Viktor Hedman, the 6-foot-7 defenseman who is, like John Tavares, too young for this year's draft. If you saw any of Sweden's games in the World Junior Championships, you know who he is. Hedman might have been the best defenseman in the tournament despite being one of the youngest players there. He could challenge Tavares for the top spot in the 2009 draft. Gustafsson said he is going to be great, but as an example of the quality of play in the SEL, Hedman is basically the No. 6/7 defenseman on his team, MoDo.
As for actual Caps news, I am on a train home right now, but I was told that Matt Cooke is still on track to make his debut tonight against the Leafs. More later after Bruce Boudreau's pre-game chat.
