"There's not a lot of room at centre, but highly rated Swede Anton Lander is joining the crowd looking for a job with the Edmonton Oilers. Lander, who played on a line with best buddy Magnus Paajarvi on the Swedish Elite League team in Timra, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers on Thursday. After starting play in the SEL at age 16 (the third-youngest player ever), Lander, who turned 20 last Sunday, will be solidly in the mix for a third or fourth-line centre spot when Oilers training camp opens in the fall. "He's a strong two-way centreman that the coaches have trust in using in all situations ... and he's worn a letter on his sweater, an assistant captain on his (Timra) team at his young age," said Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini, who hates to put a time frame on any youngster seeking to make the NHL. "That speaks to the respect they have for him. I don't know if it'll be Day 1 or Day 20 or whatever, but he'll play and be part of our organization." Lander might have to start on the team's Oklahoma City Barons American Hockey League affiliate, as fellow Swede Linus Omark did last fall because Andrew Cogliano, Chris VandeVelde, Ryan O'Marra, Colin Fraser and Gilbert Brule are higher up on the depth chart. But Lander is likely the best or second-best prospect in the organization. Only Slovakian defenceman Martin Marancin is rated as highly as the six-foot 194-pounder, who was Edmonton's second pick (40th overall) in the 2009 NHL entry draft. Lander is a different breed of cat from Paajarvi, a winger who has speed to burn and is over 200 pounds. But scouts all say Lander has an extremely high hockey IQ, competes hard, and has very strong leadership skills. He was an assistant captain in Timra — at 18." Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/spor... year entry level contract/4691174/story.html
