Aftonbladet’s Mats Wennerholm posted a column praising Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren for his fast start in the SHL this season. Here’s a rough translation thereof:
He is the big sensation of the season
Lucas Raymond is considered one of the greatest prospects on the Detroit Red Wings after being ranked number four in this year’s draft.
But there is a Detroit Swede who is hotter.
Skelleftea’s Jonatan Berggren is the season’s big sensation, and may be well on his way to the NHL if he continues as he’s started.
There has been a lot of talk about Leksands’ superb first line with Marek Hrivik, Carter Camper and Peter Cehlarik, in the introduction to the SHL season.
But they are overshadowed by Skellefteå’s radar pair Jonatan Berggren and Andreas Wingerli.
The 20-year-old Berggren has been a sensation in the beginning of the season, and I would be surprised if [Swedish national team GM] Johan Gapenlov does not pick him out in his first national team appearance in a couple of months.
Last year, Jonatan scored twelve points (2 + 10) in the 24 games he played for Skelleftea.
Now he is already up to sixteen points–in ten games.
Breaks the dominance of Leksands’ trio
He is the only Swedish player who managed to break through against the trio of players who lead in points in the SHL, where Hrivik, Camper and Cehlarik surprisingly beat Färjestad 3-2 after a sudden and two goals by the Slovak Cehlarik during regulation time.
It’s just as usual when Leksand wins.
Marek Hrivik still tops the league in points with his eighteen points, closely followed by Carter Camper with seventeen, ahead of the surprising third Jonatan Berggren. And just behind him comes Cehlarik.
Jonatan Berggren has formed a radar pair with Andreas Wingerli throughout the season, with Rickard Hugg as third player on the line in the opening games.
But when the team’s big star Joakim Lindström was stuck on zero points after five games played, he had to take Hugg’s place to speed up the goal scoring.
Learning to earn an NHL contract
Then he scored the first two goals of the season himself in the first game against Frolunda.
I’d guess that Jonatan Berggren will get his first NHL contract with Detroit if he continues as he has started.
He was drafted 33rd overall in the second round of 2018, but the Red Wings have not yet signed a contract with him.
But you can sense a new Swedish heyday in Detroit with all the Swedish future names they have acquired the rights to.
Orebro’s Mathias Brome already has a contract and will go over as soon as the NHL camps start before the postponed season.
Impressed most so far
Frolunda’s super talent [Lucas Raymond] was drafted as number four in this year’s draft, and Detroit took MODO’s talented defenseman William Wallinder with its second choice, and Frölunda [J20 star] Theodor Niederbach with its third choice.
It seems that the scout Hakan Andersson got all his wishes with three Swedes at the top.
And last year they picked Farjestad’s promising defenseman Albert Johansson.
But it is Jonatan Berggren who stands out the most so far, even if his three assists were not enough to win the game against Rögle.
The Scanians [from Rogle] continued to impress and won 5-4, and Ben Smith decided the game with his first goal for Rogle with only 1:38 left to play.
