Supporters and experts are calling for Lulia to fill in the gaps in the team.
Erik Gustafsson is also waiting for new players after Linus Omark and Pontus Andreasson.
– With the team we have now, we won’t win SM gold, says the 33-year-old defender.
There was an atmosphere of excitement and exhilaration in Lulea during the SC final against Färjestad in May.
Lulea had the chance to win the club’s second-ever gold medal in both the sixth game in Karlstad and the decisive seventh at home in Norrbotten.
The season ended with two consecutive losses, going 1-3 in Game Six and 0-3 in Game Seven.
For the next season, Lulia has lost its outstanding goal-scoring players.
Linus Omark is back at Geneve-Servette and Pontus Andreasson will try to join the Detroit Red Wings.
‘Best player in Europe’
With just over two weeks to go until SHL’s premiere, those gaps haven’t been filled.
– It goes without saying that we should have alternatives to the two. Linus Omark, you don’t replace player for player, it’s totally impossible. We have to do something with the players that come in. Obviously there will be great players, but replacing the best player in Europe is not possible. Team building is different when you have Linus Omark compared to not having it, he says Eric Gustafson.
Competition season begins with the CHL group stage in Luleå on Friday evening.
– I am convinced that the sports administration and coaches are doing their best to find players. We should not panic and just fill in to fill the void. We must be patient. Later in September, after the NHL camps, good opportunities to find the best players usually open up. Eric Gustafson says I’m not anxious or stressed.
‘Need two best players’
Aside from Linus O’Mark and Pontus Anderson, at Lulea, it’s mainly about defender Sami Lipsto continuing his career at Langnau, goalkeeper Jesper Walstedt seizing the opportunity at Minnesota Wild and defender Fredrik Stearmann who was forced to end his career due to a concussion. .
– With this team that we have now, I’m totally convinced that we’ll make it to the SM Finals. If we want to be the real contender out there as we should be, then we need big players, of course, given the players we’ve lost. We are starting with a better back than we did last season. The front side is also basically wide. Eric Gustafson says goalkeepers are still going strong.
Among the new acquisitions, there are still three players, defenders Jesper Sellgren and Filip Pyrochta and goalkeeper Matteus Ward.
– I hope and believe that all fans are constantly feeling positive winds about Lulia. We have achieved the best sporting and financial result in many years. There’s no reason to keep taking steps and developing more, we’ve done that every season I’ve been there, says Eric Gustafson.
“Put it away”
33-year-old Eric Gustafson has been the team’s captain for the past four seasons since coming to Lulea.
It was my first major final and my first ever loss. I don’t think I handled it properly at first. I just pushed him away. It was tough for a few weeks, and it was my biggest sporting setback. It was a discharge, so I had to recharge the batteries this summer. It was a lot of tension and a long playoff, says Eric Gustafson.
Although there was disappointment in the city about the result, he is not disappointed with the performance.
– Even though it didn’t turn out the way we wanted, we had a lot of fun up until then. There was a sick atmosphere in the whole town, not just the hall. The whole town was breathing hockey and there was such a positive wind. We’ve done everything we can. The motivation now is to get back out there and finish the season with a win. We’ll keep fighting and make it better, says Eric Gustafson.
“I laughed”
He himself has two seasons left on his contract and there is no room for error in how much he wants the gold from SM.
– I’m not proud to play for SM gold and take it back to Lulia. It was frowned upon, because I think we did everything we could. Corona shut us out when we had our best chance ever, says Eric Gustafsson, grinning at us on the ice in the final against Färjestad.
He and the team now want to take advantage of adversity to turn it into something positive.
– It’s very difficult at the moment, but it’s a hell of an experience and we have to use it the right way. When you’re in that situation again, all you have to do is step on the gas. No matter what happens, the sun will rise again tomorrow and then you can enjoy the moment. We have reinforced that and there are many examples of teams doing this. Tama Bay Lightning suffered a serious nose injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 in games, then won back-to-back Stanley Cups and were in the Finals last season, says Eric Gustafson.
Do a lot for gold
Motivation and focus are strong with him as we have known through the seasons.
– What shouldn’t I do for gold? That’s what I miss, I play a whole season with a group and work towards the same goal and then finish the game with a win. This is the feeling I want. There are very few things I wouldn’t do to win SM gold, says Erik Gustafsson.
On Friday evening, Lulia plays away to Jokorit in CHL, the group also includes Sparta Prague and Aalborg.
For the SHL premiere on Saturday 17th September, HV71 will be coming to Norrbotten.