How Swede it is ... and is ... and is ... and is.
Across the last two days, the Blues have signed four players from Sweden, including 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg on Wednesday. ºüÀêÊÓƵ also signed forward Simon Robertsson (third-round pick in 2021), forward Marcus Sylvegard (free agent) and defenseman Samuel Johannesson (free agent).
Stenberg, 18, is the headliner of the group, even if his expected arrival in the NHL could be later. The Blues selected Stenberg with the 25th pick (acquired from Toronto in the Ryan O’Reilly trade) last year, and the team has now signed all three of their first-rounders from 2023 after previously inking deals with Dalibor Dvorsky and Theo Lindstein.
Stenberg spent the season with Frolunda HC in the SHL, with three goals and three assists in 31 games. He also spent nine games in the second-tier Allsvenskan, where he was a point-per-game player. When Stenberg played against his peers at the World Junior Championship for Sweden, he had five goals and four assists in seven games.
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Stenberg will turn 19 later this month, and his contract is eligible to slide if he plays fewer than 10 games in the NHL. Stenberg’s entry-level contract is for three years.
Robertsson, 21, could be ready to make the jump to North America next season after signing with the Blues. He recently won the SHL championship with Skelleftea AIK, and he had one goal, one assist and 28 penalty minutes in 15 playoff games.
Robertsson was part of Sweden’s World Juniors team in 2022-23, and his entry-level contract is for three years.
Sylvegard and Johannesson were European free agents eligible to sign with any NHL team, and both signed with the Blues as they look to make the jump from Europe to North America. Because of their ages, their entry-level contracts are shorter than the typical three-year one for many prospects.
Sylvegard, who turns 25 on Saturday, is signed for one year, while the 23-year-old Johannesson is signed for two years.
Sylvegard was one of the top scorers in the notoriously hard-to-score SHL last season. In 51 games, he had 23 goals (second in the league) and 41 points (tied for seventh in the league) for Vaxjo Lakers HC. It was his second straight 41-point season in the SHL, as he did it for Malmo Redhawks in 2022-23.
Johannesson was originally a sixth-round pick by Columbus in 2020 but did not sign with the Blue Jackets. A right-handed defenseman, Johannesson is a high-scoring blue liner, as his 27 points last year were eighth in the SHL among defensemen. The previous season, his 32 points were fifth-most among SHL defensemen.
European free agents can be lottery tickets in a sense. If they work out, it’s a great find for NHL teams, but if they don’t, it’s a risk-free flier.
Last year, the Blues signed forward Andre Heim, but he departed North America for Europe before even playing in an AHL game.
With Stenberg, Robertsson, Sylvegard and Johannesson signed, the Blues now have seven Swedes under contract for next season with Lindstein, Leo Loof and Anton Malmstrom also signed.
