By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
After trading for his rights last night, the Boston Bruins wasted no time in inking their latest acquisition, Victor Soderstrom, to a National Hockey League contract. The Skutskar, Sweden, native agreed to terms with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $775,000.
Soderstrom will give North America another shot after a dominant season in the Swedish Hockey League with Brynas IF, where he won the Borje Salming Trophy for Swedish Defenseman of the Year. Drafted 11th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, Soderstrom’s first stint in North America was a bit turbulent, as he bounced around between the Arizona Coyotes, Tucson Roadrunners, as well as a brief time on loan with AIK back in his native Sweden, due to NHL/AHL play being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having already played in 53 games at the NHL level, Soderstrom will have a solid opportunity to add to that tally, with the Bruins’ defensive depth on the right side of the ice largely lacking after Charlie McAvoy and Andrew Peeke. Whether or not pending unrestricted free agent Henri Jokiharju will return to Boston remains to be seen. New Head Coach Marco Sturm helped develop several high-profile defensive prospects with the Ontario Reign, such as Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence. Whether or not he can get the best out of Soderstrom remains to be seen. If not he would be a solid addition for the Providence Bruins.
Leave a Reply