Robert Nilsson

Robert Åke Nilsson (born January 10, 1985 in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian-born Swedish professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with the ZSC Lions of the National League A (NLA) 
==Playing career==
Nilsson began his career in the Elitserien with Leksands IF in 2002–03. He recorded 21 points in his rookie season, breaking Markus Näslund's 13-year mark for most points by a 17-year-old in the league. Nilsson was then drafted by the New York Islanders with the 15th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. 
He remained in Sweden an additional two seasons, which included a brief, seven-game stint with HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss Nationalliga A, before joining the Islanders in 2005–06. Nilsson scored his first NHL goal within a month of his debut on October 29, 2005, against the Buffalo Sabres. Nilsson, however, struggled to adjust to the NHL style of play and was sent down to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. After scoring 28 points (8 goals, 20 assists) in 29 games for the Sound Tigers, Nilsson was recalled to finish the year with the Islanders, recording 20 points in 53 total games during his NHL rookie season. At one point, Nilsson played on the top line with team captain Alexei Yashin and close friend Sean Bergenheim.
In 2006–07, Nilsson was sent back to the Sound Tigers to start the season. He remained with the club until February 27, 2007, when he was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers with Ryan O'Marra and the Islanders' 1st round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft for Ryan Smyth. Nilsson transferred AHL teams accordingly and began playing in the Oilers' farm system with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. During a call-up, he scored his first goal as an Oiler on March 15, 2007. He would go on to record a combined 70 points during his next two seasons with the Oilers.
On June 30, 2010, the remainder of Nilsson's contract was bought out by the Oilers. He had one year remaining on his original three-year contract, and would have earned $2.5 million with a $2 million hit against the salary cap. With this buyout, Nilsson became an unrestricted free agent.
On July 22, 2010, it became known that Nilsson had signed a 2-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League.
He transferred to fellow KHL side Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod during the 2011-12 season, where also spent the following 2012-13 campaign.
Nilsson signed a three-year deal with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss top-flight National League A (NLA) in 2013. Throughout ZSC’s 2013-14 championship run, he scored 10 goals and assisted on 24 more in 31 games. He converted the championship-winning penalty in game 4 of the finals against the Kloten Flyers.
During the 2015–16 season, Nilsson would spend time on a line with coveted draft prospect Auston Matthews finding chemistry with the young centre, winning the Swiss Cup competition with the Lions that season.
== Career statistics ==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2002–03 	Leksands IF 	SEL 		41 	8 	13 	21 	10 		5 	0 	1 	1 	2
2003–04 	Leksands IF 	SEL 		34 	2 	4 	6 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	HC Fribourg-Gottéron 	NLA 		7 	1 	3 	4 	2 		4 	1 	0 	1 	2
2004–05 	Djurgårdens IF 	SEL 		23 	2 	4 	6 	6 		3 	0 	0 	0 	0
2005–06 	New York Islanders 	NHL 		53 	6 	14 	20 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Bridgeport Sound Tigers 	AHL 		29 	8 	20 	28 	12 		7 	1 	4 	5 	0
2006–07 	Bridgeport Sound Tigers 	AHL 		50 	12 	34 	46 	34 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		19 	6 	14 	20 	14 		11 	3 	12 	15 	8
2006–07 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 		4 	1 	0 	1 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 		71 	10 	31 	41 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Springfield Falcons 	AHL 		5 	2 	2 	4 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 		64 	9 	20 	29 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 		60 	11 	16 	27 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Salavat Yulaev Ufa 	KHL 		41 	5 	22 	27 	28 		21 	3 	7 	10 	2
2011-12 	Salvat Yuleav Ufa 	KHL 		15 	0 	5 	5 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011-12 	Toros Neftekamsk 	VHL 		2 	1 	3 	4 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011-12 	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 	KHL 		35 	12 	12 	24 	30 		13 	2 	6 	8 	2
2012-13 	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 	KHL 		17 	5 	7 	12 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013-14 	ZSC Lions 	NLA 		31 	10 	24 	34 	12 		18 	2 	2 	4 	4
2014-15 	ZSC Lions 	NLA 		44 	11 	20 	31 	18 		18 	5 	8 	13 	4
2015-16 	ZSC Lions 	NLA 		48 	12 	40 	52 	16 		4 	1 	1 	2 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		252 	37 	81 	118 	90 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	NLA totals 	 		130 	34 	87 	121 	48 		44 	9 	11 	20 	10
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
 
Year 	Team 	Event 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
2001 	Sweden 	WJC18 	6 	2 	0 	2 	0
2002 	Sweden 	WJC18 	8 	2 	3 	5 	8
2003 	Sweden 	WJC 	6 	4 	2 	6 	4
2004 	Sweden 	WJC 	6 	2 	5 	7 	6
2005 	Sweden 	WJC 	6 	1 	3 	4 	8
2008 	Sweden 	WC 	9 	2 	4 	6 	6
2011 	Sweden 	WC 	9 	1 	6 	7 	0
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	32	11	13	24 	26
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	18	3 	10	13 	6
==External links==
*Robert Nilsson's stats on hockeydb
Category:Born in 1985
Category:Bridgeport Sound Tigers players
Category:Djurgårdens IF Hockey players
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Islanders draft picks
Category:New York Islanders players
Category:Salavat Yulaev Ufa players
Category:Swedish ice hockey players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players
Category:HC Fribourg-Gottéron players
Category:IIHF Player