Blackhawks’ prospect, Victor Ejdsell, has made a name for himself in his short whirlwind of a career. Since being acquired from Nashville back in February as part of the Ryan Hartman trade, Ejdsell has been relentless. He has been performing at an elite level for the Rockford IceHogs this postseason, and also, a big reason why the IceHogs have been as successful as they have been. Ejdsell has been busy etching his name into the record books.
From our Fun Fact Dept:
Victor Ejdsell has set the IceHogs’ all-time playoff record for game-winning goals. His 4 game-winners are just 2 shy of the AHL’s single-postseason record set by Darren Haydar (2006), Bud Holloway (2010) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (2016). pic.twitter.com/Rdocou5FTM
— x – Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) May 25, 2018
Victor Ejdsell Shines Bright For IceHogs
In 12 postseason games, Victor Ejdsell is single-handedly responsible for 4 of the IceHogs’ wins. Here is a clip of his latest Game-Winning Goal (GWG) from Thursday night against the Texas Stars.
“Victor Ejdsell! The hero once again!”
The @goicehogs force a Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals! #TEXvsRFD pic.twitter.com/zS1JySUWmM
— AHL (@TheAHL) May 25, 2018
Ejdsell’s stat line currently stands at 12 points (7G, 5A) with a 6 +/- rating and 3 Power Play Goals. Out of his 17 total shots, 7 have been goals. That brings his shooting percentage to an absurd 41.2%. This type of efficiency is unheard of in the sport of hockey. I am sure most people have heard the phrase, “He’s putting up video game numbers right now.” This phrase applies here, but honestly, Ejdsell’s numbers are better than video game numbers.
Can Ejdsell Maintain This Level Of Production?
I know what you are probably thinking right now. There is no way that anyone can sustain this type of production for a long period of time. In most cases, I would have to agree with you. However, the case of Victor Ejdsell is a curious one. He has been putting up these types of numbers for a while now.
Here is a breakdown of Ejdsell’s stats over the course of his career.
As you can see here, he has had a history of putting up points on a consistent basis. Also, another thing to keep in mind is the +/- rating. In hockey, this rating measures a player’s impact on a game and represents the goal differential while the player is on the ice. Ejdsell has posted a generally positive +/- rating throughout his career thus far. This indicates a good 2-way player – good offensively and defensively.
The reason behind the great numbers can be boiled down to a few things. Size, speed, awareness, instincts, and puck control. It is very rare to possess all of these traits, but Victor Ejdsell has been blessed with all of them. You can see all of them in action in my last article, and also, in the video below, as he takes the beautifully placed outlet pass from the IceHogs’ defensive zone all the way to the house.
Victor Ejdsell gets the @goicehogs on the board! #TEXvsRFD pic.twitter.com/nbyB3i0uKA
— AHL (@TheAHL) May 25, 2018
Things To Watch For
Victor Ejdsell has been the heartbeat of the Rockford IceHogs since being re-assigned there after the Blackhawks’ 2017-18 regular season ended. He is solely responsible for keeping the IceHogs alive in the AHL Western Conference Finals against the Texas Stars, as he helped rally the team from a 0-3 series deficit to win their first game of the series on Thursday with his 4th GWG of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Maybe they can channel their inner 2013 Chicago Blackhawks and win 4 straight games to move on, but the IceHogs are currently living on a prayer (they’re half-way there). They have made a goalie change and taken back-to-back games to make it a competitive series once again. The next game is on Monday in Rockford. Let’s see if Ejdsell has any more GWGs left in the tank and can will the IceHogs to the Calder Cup Finals.
