Victor Soderstrom is changing his agent to secure a contract for next season.
Reports say that he has dropped Darren Ferris from Quartexx Management. Instead of re-signing with Utah, Soderstrom might play in a top European league. Utah is also looking into trading his signing rights.
This isn’t the first time Soderstrom has changed agents. Initially, JP Barry at CAA represented him when he signed his entry-level contract five years ago. He switched to Ferris early last year. Despite many chances, he didn’t secure a full-time NHL spot with Arizona. Last season, he played 30 games but started this season in AHL Tucson and was recalled only twice, playing three games without scoring any points .
Possible Moves and Future Prospects:
Fans might think it’s smart for him to explore other options if he’s not getting enough playtime in Utah. The 6’0″, 190-lb defenseman has been solid offensively in Tucson, scoring 32 points (nine goals and 23 assists) in 62 games last year. However, his one-dimensional play has limited his NHL opportunities. His -47 rating over 170 games with Tucson has improved each season but still remains low.
Soderstrom may feel ready for the NHL but fears being sidelined by Utah next season. General Manager Bill Armstrong’s recent trades for John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev and signing Ian Cole make it tough for Soderstrom to find a spot on the team’s opening night lineup. He’d need to outperform Michael Kesselring or Juuso Välimäki during training camp—a challenging task.
If Soderstrom heads overseas, Utah will retain his NHL rights until February 2028 because they issued him a qualifying offer. He could return to Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League where he played from 2015-20.
What do you think about Soderstrom’s situation? Should he stay or explore Europe?
