Philip Broberg definitely looks comfortable on the ice at Rogers Place. That's a good thing considering it's where he'll patrol the blue line for the Oilers one day.
On Boxing Day, in Sweden's 7-1 win over the Czech Republic in their 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship lid-lifter, the defenseman posted an impressive three-assist game. Broberg not only collected all three helpers in the middle frame, but over the course of the full 60 minutes also logged an impressive 17 minutes and 57 where he dominated the Czechs on both ends of the ice and was named the team's player of the game.
Broberg looks strong #oilers pic.twitter.com/iRpAHmbwSm
— NHLwookiee (@NHLwookiee) December 26, 2020
Broberg's first assist came on the power play as he fed the puck over to Simon Holmstrom who's shot wide from the right circle was tucked in by Albin Sundsvik.
His second apple came after he wrapped the puck around the boards and sprang Emil Heineman who scored a shorthanded goal to make it 3-1.Another angle of the Sundsvik goal for Team Sweden! pic.twitter.com/Y25Pj3WJJ5
— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) December 26, 2020
Less than four minutes later the Swedish captain skated down the slot and had his snapshot go off the glass before Theodor Niederbach buried it.Emil Heineman ( @FlaPanthers ) goes in alone for the shorthanded goal! Sweden now leads 3-1.
— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) December 26, 2020
Assists to Philip Broberg ( @EdmontonOilers ) and Tobias Bjornfot ( @LAKings ) pic.twitter.com/H2amkq6u0F
🍎🍏🍎
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 26, 2020
Three goals for Sweden in the second period, three assists for Captain Philip! @IIHFHockey | #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/b5KbX5cngD
Regardless of how the tournament goes, and despite him having spent time in the summer bubble with the team, Broberg is not expected to stay in Edmonton for the upcoming season.
“I talked to Philip a week ago and I told him he will go back to Skelleftea until the end of their season and then come back to Edmonton or Bakersfield once they’re done,” Oilers GM Ken Holland told the Edmonton Sun's Jim Matheson back in the middle of December regarding the team's eighth overall pick in 2019.
This year's world juniors is Broberg's third and, already, his most impressive; in 2019 he had one assist in four games and last year he had a goal in seven. In 23 games with Skelleftrea (SHL) this season, he notched two goals and eight assists before heading to Sweden's world juniors camp. Sweden's victory over the Czech's is the team's 53 straight preliminary-round victory. They'll next face Austria on Monday.