The Red Wings have signed Jonatan Berggren to a one-year deal worth $825K.
Last season, Berggren played mostly with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. He managed 15 goals and 28 points in his rookie NHL season but only appeared in 12 games for Detroit last year, scoring two goals and six points while averaging just under 11 minutes per game.
Detroit’s general manager Steve Yzerman wanted to finalize deals with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider before addressing Berggren’s contract. However, David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period noted that signing Berggren before training camp was crucial. This would give him a chance to secure a roster spot. Raymond and Seider still haven’t signed their contracts, which might make them training-camp holdouts if they don’t sign by Wednesday morning. With Berggren signed, Detroit has $16.82M left in cap space for the RFA duo.
Roster Dynamics:
Berggren shone brightly in Grand Rapids despite being sent down. He led the team with 56 points (24 G, 32 A) over 53 games and added another ten points during nine playoff games .
Fans might think this is great news for Detroit’s depth this season.
Even when Raymond returns, Berggren could still snag a top-nine role because players like Robby Fabbri, David Perron, and Daniel Sprong are no longer around. If he stays into the regular season without being sent down again—since he’s no longer waiver-exempt—he might even fill a top-six spot temporarily.
Berggren will have arbitration rights if he reaches restricted free agency next summer.
What do you think about this move?
