Getting to know: Alexander Fallstrom
Welcome back to the Getting To Know series. Now we are entering the obscure prospect territory. There is one name that has been overlooked and I will get to him eventually, but for now I want to focus on one of two European forwards the Bruins added to the Providence Bruins roster mid-season. The first being Alexander Khokhlachev and the second being Alexander Fallstrom.
Player Profile:
Name: Alexander Fallstrom
Age: 22
Position: Right Wing
Shot: Right
Draft:
2009 NHL Entry Draft
4th Round, 116th overall by Minnesota Wild
Alexander Fallstrom was drafted 116th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft while he was playing with Shattuck Saint Mary’s Prep in Minnesota coming off of an 87 point season (40-47). He was traded to the Boston Bruins in October 2009 in the trade that saw Chuck Kobasew go to Minnesota for Craig Weller, Alexander Fallstrom, and 2nd Round Draft Pick in the 2011 Draft which the Bruins used to selected Alexander Khokhlachev.
Fallstrom would go on to play at Harvard coming within the Top 5 in team scoring during the 2011-12 season and leading the team in points with 21 during the 2012-13 season before transferring over to Providence.
The Argument For Alexander Fallstrom:
Fallstrom is a net crasher. During his 10 game stint with the Providence Bruins he recorded 5 points with 4 goals and 1 assist. His first goal came from a fantastic play by Khoko (Khokhalchev) and Fallstrom went straight for the net to tap in the pass.
Fallstrom is a natural right winger, one of the few the Bruins have in their line up. He and Khoko have developed a very good chemistry with one another despite the very short amount of time they have played in Providence this year.
That being said, that is where the positives end for Fallstrom.
The Argument Against Alexander Fallstrom:
Unfortunately because of their limited play time this season (and the big fact that Fallstrom did not play in the AHL playoffs with the Providence Bruins) we haven’t seen what Fallstrom can down at his full potential. He just came aboard the roster and much like Carter Camper had to wait another year before being able to make a crack at the big club.
That isn’t to say that Fallstrom is a bad player, he’s not by any means. He (much like Knight and Khoko) remain unproven at this level. Fallstrom and Khoko will definitely get some more solid ice time in Providence next year before the dream of making the big club becomes a reality. Unless of course his performance at Bruins training camp is so superb and mind blowing that they decide to give him the roster spot; it’s very unlikely that will happen however seeing as how 2 far more proven players in Craig Cunningham and Ryan Spooner are both leading the campaign (for lack of a better term) at getting the spot.
Conclusion:
We can’t say much about Fallstrom at this point, he certainly has shown he has potential but that’s not enough to get to the NHL. Fallstrom is going to need some time to really prove himself and really prove what he is capable of. He is one of the few players I can say without a doubt will not be on the Bruins roster next year along with Knight and possible Khoko.
It’s unfortunate because he is one of the several prospects I have been following closely but if his performance in next year’s AHL season is strong enough he might get a crack at the roster early (like Camper) or he may have to play the whole year in Providence before he can make his way to the big club.
That is all on Alexander Fallstrom, tomorrow’s article will cover his linemate Alexander Khokhlachev.