Detroit Red Wings: Jonatan Berggren will fight for spot in training camp

The Detroit Red Wings are far from focused on training camp. With the NHL Entry Draft being the new point of focus or the team’s coaching vacancy, there is plenty to be busy with. But, for some prospects, this is not always the case, as next season’s hopes can outweigh things.

The focus has already shifted for Detroit Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren now that the season has ended. Berggren is coming off his first season of hockey in North America after making the jump from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

After spending four seasons playing in the SHL and getting some experience under his belt, he was able to come to North America and show his stuff. Berggren got hot in 2021-22 and was a top performer for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Berggren was a former second-round pick from the end of the Ken Holland era in Hockeytown and is still fighting to crack the NHL roster. He did not get his chance in 2021-22 but will fight to do so out of training camp later this summer/fall.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren is going to fight for a spot.

By the time the 2021-22 season came to a close for the Griffins, Berggren was at the forefront of the team’s scoring. In fact, he led the team in points when the Griffins’ season came to a close.

Berggren would manage 21 goals and 43 assists for 64 total points over 70 games played for the Griffins. He scored 11 more points than the next highest scorer on the team and contributed to the team’s offense from the start of the season all the way through to the end.

He’s known for his playmaking abilities on the ice, which is the primary reason the Red Wings have continued to invest in him. He’s proven he can be a valuable part of the Red Wings’ offense, creating scoring chances and helping produce goals.

Though the Red Wings’ attention is elsewhere, Berggren will take the summer to keep getting better and show up to training camp ready to try and make the NHL roster out of camp. The early thoughts point to him being a competitor at training camp.

Between his 2021-22 performance and shown skillset, it’s hard to see a world where Berggren does not at least earn a few looks in the 2022-23 season if he does not break camp with the Red Wings.

It’s a discussion for down the line, but it should certainly be had. Berggren deserves his chances, and he has a shot at earning them right out of training camp.