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The Maple Leafs goalie of the future has already peered into his crystal ball — and is preparing himself accordingly.
No sophomore jinx for Jonas Gustavsson if he can help it.
“The second season can be dangerous because not everything is new and exciting in the same way it was (when you are a rookie),” Gustavsson told Swedish newspaper Expressen this week. “You sometimes have to fight a bit more to find that same energy.
“The first year you’re floating on a cloud — travelling to new places you’ve never been. I’ve been to those places now, I’ve played against all the top players, so it’ll be a different feeling.”
The upside is, there’s less to fret about. He knows his teammates now, he’s accustomed to smaller ice surfaces, he understands what's expected, he’s proven himself as a bonafide NHLer.
But familiarity cuts both ways.
“At the same time teams know how you play — so it might be easier to scout me,” Gustavsson continued, though he’s not too worried.
“They said the same thing about playing in the Swedish Elite League. But my second year (at Farjestads BK) was much better than the first.”
