The Washington Capitals loaned prospect Alexander Suzdalev to Mora IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden earlier this month. Suzdalev had been with the Hershey Bears but could not crack the AHL powerhouse’s lineup so a move for playing time was initiated.
The 19-year-old winger initially struggled to get going with his new team, going scoreless in his first four games. That changed on Sunday as Suzdalev broke out with two goals in Mora IK’s 6-0 win over Almtuna IS.
Suzdalev first struck on a power play as he found himself all alone in the right faceoff circle and snuck in for a slick wrister that beat the opposing goaltender bottom glove. Suzdalev was absolutely deadly on the man advantage with the Regina Pats in the WHL last season.
Among all players in the league he ranked fourth with 17 power play goals. The 2022 third-round draft pick had seven more PPGs than the next WHL rookie.
Alexander Suzdalev 🚨🚨 #Hockeyallsvenskan #moraik #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/c9veLCFzxd
— SwehockeyGIFs (@swehockeygifs) November 26, 2023
Suzdalev grabbed his next marker after making a nice defensive play at his own blueline that forced a turnover. The puck was fed up to him on a breakaway and he made no mistake, finishing low blocker.
These five games of pro hockey are Suzdalev’s first against men since he got into five SHL games for HV71 during the 2021-22 season. In his final junior season last year, the Russian-born, Swedish-raised winger recorded 86 points (38g, 48a) in 66 games for Regina, leading all WHL rookies by 28 points.
Suzdalev recently did an interview with Swedish outlet Hockeysverige where he talked about his move back to Europe. He sees it as a positive step in his career.
“I think it is a good place to develop and I know many people who have been here,” Suzdalev said and as translated via Google Translate. “It’s a great team. We had spoken to Mora and they were interested and it was fun that it finally worked out.
“Right now it’s about developing and playing a lot of minutes and getting a feel for the game,” he continued. “Also working hard in the gym, my goal is to get a little stronger to play in the NHL.”
Suzdalev signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Capitals back in July of 2022. As things currently stand, he’ll spend the rest of this season in Sweden and then come back to North America next year to try and fight for a spot in the organization’s minor league system again.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
