By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter @BlackAndGold277
The 2025-26 American Hockey League regular season ends today with six games on the docket, and rumors are already circulating regarding Providence Bruins defenseman Victor Söderström’s future. The great folks over at EliteProspects.com shared the rumored article on their website, suggesting that the 25-year-old Swedish blueliner might be heading overseas to join EHC Biel-Bienne of Switzerland’s National League, raising questions about the next chapter of Soderstrom’s professional hockey career.
Söderström, who was awarded the prestigious Salming Trophy as the Swedish Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year for the 2024-25 season, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins in June 2025 as a free agent. This move was seen as a fresh opportunity for Söderström, a former first-round pick (11th overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2019 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
In his current campaign with the Providence Bruins, Söderström has made a significant impact in his first season with the organization and has shown he can be a fringe NHLer. Through 57 games, he has registered nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points, demonstrating his offensive instincts and steady presence on the blue line. At 6 feet tall and 196 pounds, his blend of mobility and puck-moving ability has made him a key contributor on both ends of the ice.
However, with Söderström set to become a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer, his future and role with the Bruins seem unclear as a July 1st free agent date looms. The lure of a prominent role in Europe, especially with a respected Swiss club like EHC Biel-Bienne, could offer both financial incentives and a chance to play top-pairing minutes in a competitive league overseas.
For Söderström, who’s played on both sides of the Atlantic at the minor-pro level and in the NHL, a return to Europe might provide the stability and opportunity that can sometimes elude players on the NHL-AHL bubble. At his age, he can also return to North American professional hockey if he attracts the right team with NHL-level roster availability.
The Boston Bruins, like every other NHL team, must carefully navigate the league’s strict roster rules, particularly the 50-contract limit. This cap means that each organization can only have 50 players signed to NHL contracts at any given time, forcing teams to make tough decisions about who to keep, who to sign, and who to let go. It’s a reminder that not every promising player can be retained, even if they show flashes of potential or have been loyal to the organization.
Take, for example, a player like Söderström. Both he and his representation understand the realities of the business. With the Bruins’ contract slots about to fill up as the July 1st, 2026, date approaches, and a new wave of defensive prospects and free agent additions vying for opportunities in Providence, it’s clear that the team and Söderström may be preparing to part ways this offseason.
These decisions are rarely personal; instead, they’re a byproduct of the limited resources and opportunities available within the organization. For the Bruins, maximizing the development of younger talent sometimes means making difficult calls on established players, all within the constraints set by the NHL’s contract rules.
The Providence Bruins ended their 2025-26 regular season campaign last night with a 4-2 loss at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, to the visiting Utica Comets. After a 54-16-2 season and an AHL league-best 110 points, the top minor-pro affiliate of the NHL’s Boston Bruins earned a first-round bye in the upcoming Calder Cup Playoffs.
Soderstrom has been on the shelf with an injury since appearing in a home game at the AMP in Providence on April 11th, 2026, against the visiting Rochester Americans. The upcoming first-round playoff bye week and up to 12 days without game action will benefit a player like Soderstrom for the rest factor to hopefully be ready for the first Providence Bruins 2026 postseason game.
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