[Photo Credit: Providence Bruins / Flickr]

By: Tim A Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson

The Boston Bruins drafted Victor Berglund in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft. The young defenseman played the 2020-2021 season on loan in his home country with Lulea HF, a team in the Swedish Hockey League. The SHL is Sweden’s top league, and it was Berglund’s first season there. He previously spent time in HockeyAllsvenskan, which is Sweden’s second-highest league. Berglund had an excellent season with Lulea HF scoring four goals while dishing out 17 assists for 21 total points in 50 games. The young defenseman was looking to have a big first season in North America; let’s see how he did.

Victor Berglund started the 2021-2022 season playing with the Maine Mariners in the ECHL. The native of Sweden would play just three games with Maine, scoring one goal while dishing out three assists for four total points in that time. It would take the young defenseman some time to get used to the AHL, dishing out one assist for one total point in his first nine games. However, once he became more comfortable with the AHL game, the points would come. Berglund proved he’s a two-way defenseman that can play in all areas of the ice. His defensive game likely ends up developing more than his offensive game, but that’s still positive.

Victor Berglund would have a good season with Providence despite the slow start. In 46 games, he scored six goals while dishing out 12 assists for 18 total points. The young defenseman had a few games where he stood out, but his best game would come on March 6, 2022, in a game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins. Berglund would score one goal, dish out one assist, and register a plus/minus of four. The Bruins would win that game 5-4 in overtime. All of the young defenseman’s skills were on display in that game. So what happens next with Berglund?

Despite the numerous injuries to Boston’s defensive core, I expect Berglund to play all of next season in Providence. If more players on the defensive unit get hurt, you could see Berglund in Boston, but that is highly unlikely. The native of Sweden is still only 22 allowing him time to develop in Providence is the best course of action. Rushing a player into a role before he’s ready can ruin him, and the Bruins would be doing that if they brought Berglund to Boston so quickly.

I believe Victor Berglund has a bright career ahead of him. His ceiling is probably a second or third-pairing defenseman. I think it’s likely that Berglund eventually develops into a staple on Boston’s bottom defensive pairing. The native of Sweden is one of my favorite defensive prospects for Boston. Keep an eye on him in 2022-2023. What prospect review would you like to see next? I hope everyone had a safe and healthy holiday weekend and continues to enjoy the offseason! Feel free to send me any comments, questions, or suggestions on Twitter. As always, GO, Bs, GO!