Erin Brown

ATLANTA -- Edmonton's Sam Gagner (right) finished with his YoungStars interviews fairly quickly, so he ended up spending a little time checking out some cushy, leather NHL recliners and NHL 2K8:

ATLANTA -- Chances are, if you followed the 2003 draft, you probably didn't notice Tobias Enstrom. Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers with the 239th pick, the defenseman has emerged as a diamond in the rough. As a 23-year-old rookie, he's slipped into the top slot on Atlanta's defensive depth chart and is averaging workhorse-like numbers and given a boost to Atlanta's power play.

Here's what he had to say:

Q: Is there anything particular about the weekend you're looking forward to?

Enstrom: It's just going to be fun. It's here in Atlanta, so it's going to be fun.

Q: Is there a place to eat you've been recommending to the guys?

Enstrom: I'm pretty new here too, so I don't really know. But I'll try to find a spot for my Swedish friends here, so, hopefully we'll get something going.

Q: It's been a whirlwind year for you as a rookie, and now you're here at the All-Star Game. Have you had a chance to put it all in perspective?

Enstrom: It's been good since I came here. They took good care of me. It felt like home. My game started up good at the beginning of the season and I kept playing good. I had opportunities. The coach played me a lot and I did pretty good. I knew what I could do when I came over here, so I just want to keep it going in the right direction and keep it going at a high level.

Q: I hear Nicklas Lidstrom is a hero of yours. Have you gotten the chance to meet him yet?

Enstrom: I haven't met him yet. But hopefully I will do it later on here. He's a Swedish guy, and he's the best defenseman in the league. It would be fun to meet him.