SVT, a Swedish TV network, is reporting that Swedish Elite League winger Linus Klasen has signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators.
Klasen, in his third season with Södertälje SK, tallied 51 points in 51 games to lead his club by more than 18 points.
It turns out that Nashville’s leading scorer, Patric Hornqvist, has played with Södertälje’s leading scorer before. The two players donned the Tre Kronor for Sweden at the 2006 U20 World Championships. Hornqvist ended the tournament with three points in his three games while Klasen amassed two points in six contests.
The 24-year old Stockholm native tied for fifth in Elitserien league scoring. Former Predator Jan Hlavac was one of the three players tied with Klasen.
And don’t be surprised if you see Klasen skating in a roller hockey league somewhere this summer. He’s a three time Gold Medalist with Sweden at the IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships. In the 2008 tournament, Klasen was fourth in scoring and was named Best Forward. In the 2009 games, he may have missed out on the awards but he was tied for seventh in scoring with 13 points in six games while helping his native country capture their third consecutive Gold Medal.
The website eliteprospects.com says Klasen is a “very skilled player offensively. Klasen has excellent technical skills and is a quite spectacular player to watch. He likes to challenge defenseman and usually does it very well.”
If you needed any other reasons to get excited for him wearing a Nashville sweater, take a look at this goal.
Or maybe this one.
Or how about this one?
And one last one.
Considering the Predators have been looking for a exciting and talented winger for a while now, Klasen should get a reasonable look in training camp next season.
Especially if he forces Pekka Rinne to change his jock strap on a regular basis like the goalies in those videos.
Besides, doesn’t “Horn Dog and Klasen” have a great sitcom feel to it?