Shootouts seem to bring out the best in Silfverberg. The Anaheim Ducks forward has been one of the best in the tiebreaker since entering the NHL in 2012.
Silfverberg's quick release has helped him thrive in the one-on-one showdowns with goalies. He went 4-for-7 as a rookie with the Ottawa Senators in 2012-13 before being traded to Anaheim as part of the package for 30-goal scorer Bobby Ryan on July 5, 2013. Two years later, he led NHL shooters with nine goals on 13 attempts, a 69.2 percent success rate that was best among all players with five or more attempts.
Shootouts seem to bring out the best in Silfverberg. The Anaheim Ducks forward has been one of the best in the tiebreaker since entering the NHL in 2012.
Silfverberg's quick release has helped him thrive in the one-on-one showdowns with goalies. He went 4-for-7 as a rookie with the Ottawa Senators in 2012-13 before being traded to Anaheim as part of the package for 30-goal scorer Bobby Ryan on July 5, 2013. Two years later, he led NHL shooters with nine goals on 13 attempts, a 69.2 percent success rate that was best among all players with five or more attempts.
But the 6-foot-0, 208-pound native of Gavle, Sweden, is a lot more than just a shootout specialist. The son of Jan-Erik Silfverberg, a defenseman who played on four championship teams in the Swedish Elite League, Jakob's stellar two-way game makes him an invaluable checker and penalty killer.
Ottawa selected Silfverberg in the second round (No. 39) of the 2009 NHL Draft, and he made his NHL debut by playing in two games during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Silfverberg played all 48 games during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and scored his first NHL goal in his second regular-season game, a 4-0 victory against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 21, 2013. He finished the season tied for second on the Senators and fifth among NHL rookies with 10 goals and tied for first on Ottawa at plus-9. He played in all 10 of Ottawa's Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2013 and got his first postseason points with a goal and an assist in Game 1 of the first round against the Montreal Canadiens.
Silfverberg finished the 2014-15 season with 39 points, fourth on the Ducks, and scored 13 goals. In the 2015 playoffs, Silfverberg tied for second on the Ducks with 18 points and was second in the NHL with 1.13 points per game (minimum 10 games), helping Anaheim reach Game 7 of the Western Conference Final.
Silfverberg reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in 2015-16. He had his first NHL hat trick in a 7-1 win against the New Jersey Devils on March 14, 2016, and finished the season tied for third on the Ducks in goals. He signed a four-year contract with the Ducks on Aug. 7, 2015.
Success is nothing new to Silfverberg, who was the regular-season and playoff MVP when Brynas won the Swedish Elite League championship in 2011-12. Internationally, Silfverberg helped Sweden win silver medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2011 IIHF World Championship as well as a bronze at the 2010 World Junior Championship.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Traded to Anaheim by Ottawa with Stefan Noesen and Ottawa's 1st round pick (Nick Ritchie) in 2014 NHL Draft for Bobby Ryan, July 5, 2013.