It’s a summer of RFA fixation for Red Wings forwards, but that oxygen has understandably been concentrated around Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, leaving their other Swedish RFA, Jonatan Berggren, something of an afterthought.
Berggren is coming off a disappointing season, after he was never able to make a full-time job at the NHL level his own, going from 67 games played as a rookie to just 12. However, per a recent interview with the Swedish outlet Hockey News (no relation to THN, with translation help from the Twitter account @IcehockeyG), Berggren isn’t allowing that to dissuade his optimism for his future with Detroit.
For starters, Berggren made clear that he isn’t giving any thought to an RFA offer sheet at the moment, saying, “Contractually it’s pretty clear what makes sense. It just takes some time. I’m not thinking too much about that, that’s what you have an agent for and they handle it. They get in touch every now and then when something new develops. For me it’s just about waiting.” That sounds awfully similar to Detroit coach Derek Lalonde’s comments from last week in reference to Seider and Raymond’s negotiation: it’s part of the RFA process, and there’s no cause for concern.
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“You never want to say for certain, but I’ve only talked to Detroit and they have my rights. I’ve had talks with them and the coach and everyone. The feeling is positive,” Berggren continued. “Lalonde called and I’ve also chatted with the assistant coach. Good talks. It’s nice that they call and check in on how you’re doing and your thoughts about the upcoming season. It feels positive.”
“It’s on having a full season in the NHL,” Berggren said, of his focus heading into the new campaign and in reflection on the year that was. “It was a bit of a messy season, I won’t lie. A lot of up and down, living in a hotel, living in my car almost and going back and forth. It was both educational and tough, but regardless where I play [i.e. in Detroit or in Grand Rapids] I think it’s gone well. Hopefully, the goal is to have a really good season in Detroit.”
“Of course [I’m disappointed],” Berggren added. “That’s the thing, everyone wants to play in the NHL. I think I contributed when I was up there and got my minutes. I did what I could. Outside of that it’s not in my own hands. It’s business.”
Berggren’s optimism also extended to his team’s overall direction of travel, saying, “Detroit’s heading up. It was close last year, but unfortunately they didn’t make it. That’s the demand now, everyone wants the playoffs. The fans have waited some years. It feels good, Detroit feels exciting.” Finally, Berggren made explicit his intent to remain a Red Wing: “I feel like Detroit wants me, so hopefully we sort out a contract before training camp.”
Last week, Lalonde also expressed excitement at the benefit of young players pushing for roles for the ’24-25 Red Wings, saying “There’s something unique about the energy of youth, guys getting their first NHL games, guys competing for spots. There’s a sense of urgency to them. I think you’ll see that in all those guys in camp. I just think it’s healthy.”
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Hopefully for all involved, that portends a bright future for Berggren in Detroit as he heads into a make or break year.
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