Freddy (Sjostrom) Comes Alive!
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by Pbcoyotes
Freddy Sjostrom was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes as their first round (11th overall) pick in 2001. Before joining the NHL, Sjostrom played with the Calgary Hitman of the Western Hockey League and was putting up massive numbers. In the 2002-2003 campaign, he notched 77 points - 34 goals and 43 assists. While with the Phoenix Coyotes, he has shown flashes of brilliance and hard work, while at other times he struggled to find his speed and his scoring touch. Based on the youth movement of the current Coyotes, Sjostrom quickly found himself the odd man out, and was a healthy scratch for three games. He was angry and disappointed, but when he found himself in the lineup Thursday night against the Nashville Predators, he channeled that anger into something special. He scored on the power play in the second period and scored short handed in the third. He skated hard and became an impact player. If he continues to play like this, he'll continue to stay in the lineup for the rest of the season. He has speed and obviously he can score. What the coaching staff wants from Sjostrom is to take the mantle of being the number one pick and channel the potential he had from his WHL career. The way he played last night, helping the Coyotes to a 6-3 victory over the Predators, he will be well on his way.
