"Honestly, you feel better and you have more confidence when you play well. I knew if I kept doing the right things on and off the ice, it would come. I also knew it was my contract year, so I had to have a good finish. I'm super excited about the new contract," said De La Rose, who was selected in the second round - 34th overall - by the Canadiens in 2010. "I want to prove to myself, the coaching staff and the organization that I'm good enough to play in the NHL and be a regular NHLer."
With that goal in mind, De La Rose has been hard at work with his personal trainer in his hometown and regularly making the 250-kilometre trek to Leksand to work out and skate with good buddy, Nashville Predators standout Filip Forsberg.
"It's good to have another player to train with. I think he's one of the best players in the league, so trying to keep up with him is good for me. It's a good motivator," said De La Rose, on grinding it out alongside his former Leksands IF teammate. "I'm working on stabilizing my core and my legs so I can be stronger on the puck. It's really the whole package that still needs to improve. I know I need to get stronger and faster in everything to take the next step."
De La Rose is pleased with his offseason efforts to date, sticking to just about the same routine as always.
"I feel great. I like the way I've been going into training camp fitness-wise over the years, so I don't have any excuses. I think I've been in good shape every year, so I try to do the same thing. I'm just trying to have the same mindset and maybe do a little bit more skating this summer," said De La Rose, who also takes advantage of his surroundings in Sweden for some additional dryland training work. "I live like two minutes away from the forest and the hills. It's easy to go there and do runs and bike rides."
