Yzerman on Berggren: "He's worked hard, he's been patient, and he'll get a good opportunity this year"

It was an open-ended question—What do you have to do well to have a successful season—directed at Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman that produced an unlikely combination.

After some generic words about defensive solidity and the importance of special teams, Yzerman said, "We lost David Perron, Daniel Sprong, and Robby Fabbri. Simply couldn't afford to keep all three of them. We'd like to think Vlad Tarasenko offsets one of those losses. We think Jonatan Berggren get offset another of those losses."  The first replacement is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with 293 career goals to his name.  The second is a 24-year-old whose career games played (79) don't yet add up to a full season.  So why is this the company Berggren keeps?

After a frustrating season in which he managed to appear in just 12 NHL games, Yzerman's comments are an indicator that his path to being a full-time Red Wing has re-opened after the setback of the '23-24 campaign.  A bit like 2022-23, Detroit has a hole in its lineup that a young scorer could fill, and with his words, Yzerman makes clear the player he expects to fill that void.

"With one player remaining unsigned [Moritz Seider] and knowing what the salary cap is, [we] probably weren't in a position at this time to do a two-year deal," Yzerman explained of his negotiation with Berggren.  "So both parties are comfortable with a one-year deal, and Jonatan goes out and has a solid season, he's in a very good spot to renegotiate after one year."

Of course, that doesn't mean success, or even a roster spot, is assured for the young Swede.  "What he needs to do?" Yzerman asked himself.  "Just be a good hockey player in all aspects of the game offensively, defensively."  It's that last prepositional phrase that holds the key.  Detroit knows Berggren can thrive offensively, but to stick and to fit into the team's emphasis on defense heading into a new season, he will need to provide more.

"He's got a lot of talent," Yzerman continued.  "We're really pleased with how he played down the stretch.  It was a tough year for him, up and down a little bit, but he worked hard every time he went back to GR and seeing him here in Detroit in the preseason, he looks like he's worked really hard this summer.  He's in good shape.  He's a smart hockey player.  He's got good skills.  And it's just the ability to do it at the NHL level, and he's shown in some of his call-ups and brief periods that he's called up that he has the ability and the hockey sense to play in the NHL.  He's worked hard, he's been patient, and he'll get a good opportunity this year."

In the end, it's the exact opportunity Berggren craved—to prove his value at the NHL level.  Though he'll have to earn it in camp, with Fabbri, Perron, and Sprong gone, there is a roster spot awaiting him that wasn't available a year ago.  Now that the opportunity has arrived, it will be up to Berggren to earn it.

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