The Boston Bruins didn’t waste any time getting their newest blueliner under contract. After acquiring the rights to Victor Soderstrom on Friday, the Bruins announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract. The NHL portion of the deal will pay the minimum salary of $775K while the AHL salary was not disclosed.
The 24-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2019 when Arizona drafted him 11th overall. However, his development has not quite gone as well as the then-Coyotes would have hoped.
While Soderstrom saw NHL action in four straight seasons from 2020-21 through 2023-24, he only got into 53 games overall. Instead, he spent most of his time in North America in the minors, spanning 170 contests. His 2023-24 performance was arguably his best as he had 32 points in 62 games with AHL Springfield but that didn’t yield much in the way of a chance in Arizona as he played just three times with them that year, leading him to voice his frustration with his lack of opportunity.
As a result, Soderstrom didn’t want to re-sign with that organization (which moved to Utah last offseason) while, at the time at least, Utah didn’t want to trade him. At an impasse, the blueliner decided to go back home, signing a two-year deal with SHL Brynas. With one year left on that agreement, it’s clear that the agreement had an NHL out clause.
Soderstrom had a solid season in Sweden, posting nine goals and 28 assists in 49 regular-season games with Brynas while logging over 22 minutes a night of playing time. While he didn’t post points at the same level in the playoffs, he chipped in with eight points in 17 outings in a little more than 23 minutes per game of ice time. Along the way, Chicago acquired his rights as part of the move that saw them add Shea Weber’s contract to their books and the thought was that the Blackhawks might try to sign Soderstrom themselves this summer.
Clearly, that didn’t happen and Chicago’s prospect depth on the back end might have had something to do with that, leading to Friday’s trade. Boston’s right-shot defensive depth isn’t as deep as Charlie McAvoy and Andrew Peeke are the only two regular blueliners who shoot from that side. As a result, there could be an opportunity for Soderstrom to push for a roster spot with the Bruins although a lot can change between now and the start of training camp that could affect that chance. Either way, Soderstrom will be getting a second opportunity to play in North America this season.
