The Red Wings have been shopping 2018 second-round pick Jonatan Berggren in recent trade discussions, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. After scoring 15 goals in his rookie campaign last season, Berggren has been ferried between Detroit and AHL Grand Rapids this year and has played just four games for the Red Wings.
Berggren did not make the Red Wings roster out of camp, a choice made even more surprising by the fact that the Red Wings were voluntarily a player short, keeping 12 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies. GM Steve Yzerman had kept the 22-player roster for most of the season up until signing Patrick Kane at the end of last month. Detroit summoned Berggren on an emergency basis a few times in October and briefly on a regular basis at the end of November, but Berggren has been on assignment to Grand Rapids since the beginning of the month. There, he’s done quite well with five goals, 10 assists and 15 points in 16 games, although he’s a scratch in Sunday’s contest.
The 23-year-old has always been a high-ceiling scoring option, posting 57 points in just 38 Swedish junior league games during his draft year. Moving up the ranks of Swedish hockey, Berggren was playing a top-six role for the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK by 2020-21, tying for the team lead with 45 points in 49 games that season.
That breakout campaign led to Berggren signing his entry-level contract in Hockeytown, which he’s now in the final season of as he heads toward restricted free agency. The Red Wings opted to keep Berggren in the minors for the entirety of his first season in North America, but that was strictly for development purposes. He had no trouble adjusting to a new continent, again leading his team in scoring with 64 points in 70 contests.
After recording seven points through seven AHL contests to open last season, the Red Wings recalled Berggren in early November 2022 and he didn’t look back. He posted solid numbers in a bottom-six role, finishing fifth on the team in goals and ninth in points with 28. He capped things off with a strong showing internationally, recording two goals and seven points in eight games for Sweden at the 2023 World Championship.
His strong production has continued in the minors this season, and there’s little indication his skill level has dropped off in the past few months. Rather, Detroit is beginning its playoff contention phase after a lengthy rebuild and, justifiably, doesn’t want to mess with a roster that’s performed well. With players like Christian Fischer, Michael Rasmussen and Daniel Sprong all playing solid hockey in depth roles, there hasn’t been much of a chance for Berggren to work his way into games.
It could be that the Red Wings are shopping Berggren as part of a larger package to land a bigger-name talent on the trade market. If they’re looking to trade him in isolation, though, they’ll likely look to recoup the early second-round pick they used to select him five years ago.
Berggren is due a qualifying offer of $874,125 this summer on a two-way deal and eligible for salary arbitration.
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