MONTREAL – Several questions followed Quebecer Charles-Édouard D’Astous in his preparation for his sixth season in professional hockey. And they were all legit.
How was he going to adjust to a higher caliber of play? What responsibilities would he inherit with his new team? How would this newly promoted team fare at a higher level?
Today he knows the answers. And they are all positive.
After successfully completing his European transition with a two-year internship in Finland, D’Astous is shining this season in the Swedish first division. With 31 points in 32 games, he is not only the second point scorer on his team, but the most productive defenseman in the entire SHL. His +22 differential also makes him a reference in his new league.
At 26 years old, the former captain of the Rimouski Océanic feels like he is in full control of his subject.
“I knew I could do well, but I won’t lie… Without saying I’m surprised, we have so many good defenders, yet it’s me who plays on the first wave of the power play. Perhaps I wasn’t expecting that,” D’Astous admitted to us when we joined him at the end of December.
D’Astous arrived at Brynäs FC last summer on the recommendation of assistant coach Ove Mollin, whose son had been a teammate of his in Finland. He was one of four defenders added to a reinforced brigade for a return to the first division.
Victor Söderström, the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, was returning home after three seasons in North America. Same thing for Axel Andersson, a second-round pick of the Boston Bruins. Christian Djoos, veteran of 180 games in the NHL and winner of the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, also returned home from Switzerland.
Among these old nuggets and these seasoned veterans, it is to D’Astous, who was never able to establish himself at a higher level than the ECHL before making the jump to Europe, that we entrusted the role of general. “My coaches had seen me play a lot and knew what I was capable of. From the start, I was given a lot of ice time, a lot of responsibility. And I answered the call. »
Talent + chemistry = success
Moving to a new league and adapting to new teammates is always a bit of a leap. But there was an additional element of the unknown in the gamble that D’Astous took on by accepting Brynäs’ offer.
The club based in Gävle, north of Stockholm, spent the 2023-2024 season in the Allsvenskan, the second largest league in the country. By winning top honors there, he quickly earned promotion to the big league. But to be competitive there, he could not return with the same squad.
-In addition to the acquisitions already mentioned in defense, the leaders repatriated three local players with NHL experience: forwards Jakob Silfverberg and Oskar Lindblom in addition to goalkeeper Erik Källgren. Two Americans, including former Vancouver Canucks first round pick Jordan Schroeder, also arrived in the locker room.
It could have gone in any direction. But D’Astous, who says he was welcomed like a brother by Canadian veteran Greg Scott, immediately felt like he was part of a big family.
“The new ones were old new ones, if I can say that. Silfverberg, for example, played his junior and first professional years here. Same thing for Djoos, same thing for Lindblom, same thing for Söderström. So most of our new guys were just guys coming back home. »
This strong sense of belonging shared by such gifted players created a perfect storm in Gävle. After 35 matches in a schedule which includes 52, Brynäs occupies first place in the general ranking.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a shock,” said the Rimousko resident. When you looked at our roster at the beginning of the year, we knew we were good. But at this point? We’re sure we’re a little surprised. But our success is easily explained. Yes, all the guys who came back here have a lot of talent, but we are a team that works extremely hard. »
A label to peel off
D’Astous has always been an attacking defender. He produced at a rate of over a point per game during his last two seasons in the QMJHL as well as his last professional season in North America. Once accustomed to the European style of play, he reclaimed his identity. He accumulated 46 points in 54 games in his last season in Finland.
Today, while he cherishes the dream of appearing on the radar screen of an NHL team, he realizes that his statistics attract attention and can put him in certain conversations. But his experience also allows him to recognize the perverse effects.
“It’s boring to say, but I think my points and my offensive talent almost harm me. I think that when you see a defender like that, often teams will say “Ah, but he’s not capable of…”. Especially in the American League. You are identified as an offensive player and it sometimes happens that they hardly look at you because they believe that you cannot play defensively,” he laments.
“There is a difference between seeing the numbers and watching a match,” he continues. I think defensively I’m really solid. Since I left America, I’ve really improved in that area. In my last three years, I played a lot shorthanded against big lines, against guys who played at a high level. I’m doing really well. This year, I’m first in ‘+/-‘ in the entire league. Yes I make points, but if I score two goals and I get scored two in every match, I will be at zero. »
“It’s something that makes me proud, to do well defensively. I’m really not stressed that I’ll be able to compete against guys in the National League. »
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