The King isn’t on his way home to reclaim his castle in the Frolunda crease, but Henrik Lundqvist told The Post yesterday he seriously will consider the possibility once the Swedish Elite League commits to adding locked-out NHL players to its rosters.
“I’m going to stay put for a little while, and skate and train here, but if this isn’t settled soon, I’ll choose the option that will allow me to be in the best shape for the Rangers once the season begins,” the Vezina-winning goaltender said.
“And if playing high-level games in Sweden does become a possibility, that probably would be the best way for me to accomplish that.”
The SEL’s policy of not signing NHL players to lockout contracts was found in violation of Swedish anti-trust law yesterday in a court ruling. The league is pondering an appeal of the decision.
Lundqvist played seven seasons for his hometown Frolunda organization before joining the Rangers in 2005. He and his wife, Therese, have not been home since the birth of the couple’s first child, Charlise, on July 10 in New York.
“My parents are the only members of my family who have seen our daughter,” Lundqvist said. “We are planning to go to Sweden in a couple of weeks so we can see our family and friends. I can’t wait for [twin brother] Joel and his family to meet her, that will be very exciting — whether or not I can play over there.
“It’s almost impossible for me to explain how disappointed and frustrated I am over this situation. It’s hard for me to believe we can’t find a solution that makes sense for everyone,” he said. “It’s just weird mentally right now.
“All my focus was on being ready for training camp [scheduled to open yesterday] and for the season, but I’ve lost a little bit of that. It’s like a balloon where the air goes out.
“But I’m going to get that mental sharpness back,” said Lundqvist, who turned 30 in March. “If I play at home, yes, it would be a fun experience, but I’d be doing it so that I’m as sharp and as ready as possible when our season does start.
“That’s the most important thing to me.”