The Detroit Red Wings drafted winger Jonatan Berggren
By Ash Thompson
The Red Wings had a dearth of right wing prospects going into the 2018 NHL draft. After taking Filip Zedina early, they doubled up with Jonatan Berggren.
Jonatan Berggren, newly of the Detroit Red Wings, may not be the biggest player on the ice. He is however almost always the most relentless. It is defensive acumen and play-making ability that Breggen brings to the table, rather than overt physicality.
Berggren follows up one smart play with another almost every time. In international play, Breggen is often trusted as a penalty killer. He takes the puck away and gets it out of the defensive zone with clock-like regularity.
That is not to say he is anything resembling a defensive specialist. Berggren is a demon with the puck on his stick. His speed matched with an almost supernatural ability to anticipate his teammates make him a threat to make defensemen look downright silly. More than once in the 2017-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament Berggren turned a dump in for a line change from a lazy opponent into a breakaway for one of his teammates. He makes quick decisions with the puck and has the hands to carry those decisions through.
Berggren’s size might be off-putting to some. He is only 5’10” and weighs only 181 lbs. The NHL is moving toward smaller and faster players. With that said, Berggren will have to work to make up for it on every shift. The Red Wings were clearly not among those with questions regarding Berggren’s ability to overcome any size differential.
Berggren was expected to find a new home somewhere between pick 25 and pick 75. This draft was one of those where after the first 15-20 players there was little consensus. The Red Wings were clearly among those who held the player in high regard.
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Like Filip Zedina, the Wings sixth overall pick, Berggren is a left shot right wing. The Red Wings had a severe lack of right wing prospects going into the draft and took the opportunity to double up in the first two rounds. While Zedina could make the 2018 Red Wings squad, Berggren will likely spend another season in Europe, then one in the AHL before he takes his initial steps on NHL ice.