I almost feel badly for Red Wings free agent signing Pontus Andreasson from Lulea of the SHL, because he didn’t sign with the Red Wings whose roster has been assembled by GM Steve Yzerman’s free agency signings. He signed with a much thinner, shallower Wings team, hoping to make the team out of training camp, and it’s not certain by any means whether Andreasson will steal somebody’s job come September.
That being said, the 23-year-old forward is someone to watch over the course of the upcoming season, and the Hockey News’s Ian Kennedy named Andreasson to his list of European free agents “which should make an impact“:
Pontus Andreasson, F (Detroit): At 23, Andreasson still has time to become an NHL contributor. He was second in SHL rookie of the year voting showcasing his skating skills and ability to finish around the net. Andreasson scored 18 goals with Lulua during the regular season and had 13 points in 13 playoff games. With Red Wings super-scout Hakan Andersson following Andreasson this season, the Wings certainly did their due diligence and feel Andreasson has NHL upside. He’ll likely join Grand Rapids in the AHL this season, but don’t expect him to be ignored for too long.
