Ottawa Senators decide to ship top 2011 draft pick Mika Zibanejad back to Sweden -NHL News Update
Having to decide before playing his 10th game, the Ottawa Senators decided on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, that they would sending back their top pick in the 2011 National Hockey League (NHL), Mika Zibanejad, back to Sweden instead of playing
him in the North American major league.
Obviously for the 18-year-old, who was picked as the sixth overall during round-one of the draft which took place earlier in June, it was a tough time learning that he would not continue playing with his original draft team, but it was reported that he was
very cool about it.
“I wanted to stay, but I knew there were options to send me home”, said Zibanejad, while talking to the media after learning about the decision. “I was prepared for that and I was prepared to stay. I’m going home. It’s sad, but on other hand it’s a good
thing for me”.
Returning back home to Sweden was a choice Ottawa made in order for the young centre to continue on working and improving his skills for the next season, which could quite possible be a breakthrough for the player.
"We think for the long-term development of him, to give him an opportunity to become what we believe he has a chance to become, and that is a quality NHL player, that this is the right step for him at this moment", said Ottawa Senators general manager, Bryan
Murray, adding that it was not easy.
At the moment, Zibanejad is on his way back to Stockhold, Sweden, but playing these past nine matchups with Ottawa will certainly not have been in vain. Gaining a little insight about what the real demand of the NHL is, Zibanejad will have a full season
worth of time to work towards making himself ready for that.
In the nine contests he participated in, Zibanejad managed to pick up a single assist, which could have been the reason he was sent back to improve in his scoring.
Senators coach, Paul MacLean, was learned to have been strongly advocating keeping the youngster on board for the season, but in time agreed that it would be best for him to return to Sweden and play another season with his hometown club, Djurgardens IF
Stockholm.
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