Weekly Recap: Playoffs Pending

Standings

After this weeks action the standings heading into the post season are mostly decided. However, there are still a few things that can change with Tuesdays final game of the regular season. 

With two wins this week, including a very important three point win in Skellefteå on Tuesday evening, Färjestad have guaranteed themselves the top spot in the regular season for the first time since the 2018/19 season and will be facing the lowest seeded winner of the play in round. They have been lead offensively this season by David Tomasek who has played in all 51 games so far, scoring 25 goals and adding 18 assists. Tomasek is joined by Victor Ejdsell as the only other 40 point scorer on this years roster. Ejdsell could also join him in the 20 goal club with one more tally in the final game of the season. 

PETER HOLGERSSON / BILDBYRÅN

Although top spot in the league has been locked up, both Skellefteå and Växjö are still battling it out for second place. Skellefteå currently sits one point ahead of Växjö in the standings. Växjö, however, will be at home facing off against Oskarshamn  on Tuesday and Skellefteå is on the road against Frölunda. So the odds are certainly in the Lakers favour. Should the, albeit unlikely, event of a tie in points occur, Växjö currently has a +5 goal lead in the goals for/against category compared to Skellefteå, which would give them the edge in the standings. 

The bottom three in the top six has been determined. Frölunda is within three points of Växjö but are not within striking distance when it comes to goals for/against, so they will finish 4th. Leksand trails them by four points, meaning they will place 5th. Linköping rounds out the top six, their best finish since 2017. 

PETER HOLGERSSON / BILDBYRÅN

Timrå is currently sitting in 7th, however they are just two points ahead of Luleå and would lose the deciding factor should there be a tie in the standings. Both teams, however, have a tough test on Tuesday as Luleå faces off against Färjestad and Luleå takes on Leksand. Both teams will be on the road for their final game of the season. 

Rögle and MoDo currently sit 9th and 10th respectively and they will be facing each other on Tuesday night. However, Rögle currently sits two points ahead of MoDo and three points ahead of Örebro in 11th. Rögle also has the advantage against Örebro in goals for/against by a difference of seven goals. So, barring a catastrophic loss against MoDo in the final game of the year, it is likely Rögle will be making the post season for the sixth straight season.

MoDo is in a precarious position as they have a narrow one point lead over Örebro, who is on the road against Linköping on Tuesday evening. Örebro also possesses the tie breaking stat as they currently lead MoDo in goals for/against by seven goals. So Tuesday evening is a big night for both teams. 

JONAS FORSBERG / BILDBYRÅN

The Malmö Redhawks have a chance to move up into 11th with a regulation win for themselves and a regulation loss by Örebro, but they will not be making the post season for the third season in a row. 

The two teams who will be battling for their SHL livelihood will be HV71 and Oskarshamn. Oskarshamn will be finishing with the lowest point total since Karlskronas 31 point season in 2016. 

The first round of the playoffs will begin on Thursday. However, the matchups of that first round are yet to be determined.

Pääjärvi

Timrå has extended one of their veterans this week as they have signed a new contract with Magnus Pääjärvi. The 32 year old forward is in his second season with Timrå and third season in the SHL after coming over from the KHL in 2021. 

- Magnus is a fantastic person and player who is an important key in our team building. He will continue to develop and be a good role model for our younger ones. We are very happy that Magnus is staying at Timrå IK for another three seasons, says Timrå's sporting director Kimmo Kapanen 

The new contract will see him remain in Timrå until the spring of 2027.

Wahlberg

In their first season back in the league MoDo has done decently. They currently sit in the final playoff spot, however that could change tomorrow evening. Unfortunately for them, however, their former captain has announced he will be parting ways with the team at the end of the year. Emil Wahlberg was their captain last season and lead them back into the SHL for the first time since 2016. This year he has seen limited play time and was even loaned to AIK for 16 games. 

- Emil is a fantastic person and it felt completely right that he was the one who got to lift the trophy last year. It was a bit significant with the whole journey we made, Emil was with us all the way from the moment Mattias (Karlin) and I came in, says MoDo's sports manager Henrik Gradin.

It is unclear where Wahlberg will end up after the season has concluded. 

JONAS FORSBERG / BILDBYRÅN

Rögle

Linus Sandin and Christoffer Rifalk have both signed extensions with Rögle this week. 27 year old Sandin is in his second season with the team and has had a decent season offensively. He has tallied 16 goals and 13 assists in 49 games played. 

- Linus is very consistent in his game and always contributes the same things. He has a very high minimum level and plays in a way that suits us well. He stands for a great deal of what is our identity. He is good and serious off the ice, and I see that he has the potential to grow even more, says Rögle's acting sports director Hampus Sjöström

His new contract will keep him with the team through the 2026/27 season. 

Christoffer Rifalk has been a mainstay between the pipes for Rögle for the past five seasons and will be staying put until at least the spring of 2026.

- He has an enormous competitive spirit that contributes with that kind of energy. He grows with confidence and is a man for the big games. He likes things to heat up and is someone who makes demands on his surroundings in a good way. In his best moments, he has shown that he is one of the series' best goalkeepers, says Hampus Sjöström.