Which Way You Goin’, Anton?

Anton Lander is a restricted free agent this summer, but we have been hearing about Europe for some time now. In March, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express linked via tweet to a story saying “Lander had agreed to terms with Ak Bars of KHL” and that storyline fit the script of what we might term reasonable. Lander, who is finishing up his NHL deal (RFA), signing an attractive and lucrative deal in the KHL? Makes sense. If Lander isn’t going to play in the NHL, the KHL is an attractive option. Right?

So, it is interesting to not that another rumor has hit the interwebs. This time it’s a Swedish online publication (here) and the potential team is Farjestad of the top Swedish League. That made me wonder a little, as Anton Lander played for Timra before heading to North America in 2011. What is the connection for Anton Lander for Farjestad?

Turns out, his father (Anders Karlsson) is an assistant coach for Farjestad. Using google translate, we get this:

The article quoted (and linked to) also mentions the KHL story, so this could turn out to be a sideline curio. Lander could return to the Oilers this fall, but with another story about Europe beckoning, it appears the idea of his returning is a distant bell.