Utah Hockey Club first-round pick demands a trade: may refuse to report to the NHL
PUBLICATION
Daniel Lucente
September 13, 2024 (4:44 PM)
Photo credit: AZCentral
Contract talks between the Utah Hockey Club and former first-round pick Victor Soderstrom aren't progressing, so it appears he is likely headed to Europe.
One of the restricted free agents still remaining in the NHL is Utah defenseman Victor Soderstrom. He voiced frustration last season when he suited up for only three games with the Coyotes compared to 30 games in the 2022-23 season.
It appeared the plan all along was for Victor Soderstrom to remain in North America for the upcoming season. It appears that won't be the case anymore. According to Hans Abrahamsson and Tomas Rose of Aftonbladet, Utah is reluctant to let go of the 2019 first-round pick. While Soderstrom would prefer an NHL contract, it appears he doesn't want one with Utah, so is looking at options overseas.
Abrahamsson and Rose note that multiple Swiss League and SHL teams showed interest in the 23-year-old, but his old team, Brynas IF is apparently close to finalizing a deal. There's little question he'd be leaving money on the table should he go this route, but Victor Soderstrom would be able to return to the program he originally developed with ahead of his drafting by the Arizona organization.
Victor Soderstrom appeared in a career-high 62 games last season with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, recording nine goals and 23 assists. But that didn't help his chances of being called up. And especially considering the recent additions of Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, and Ian Cole on the blue line for Utah, the chances of him landing a roster spot going into this season are even slimmer.
It's also worth mentioning that Victor Soderstrom is now waiver-eligible, meaning if he had inked an NHL deal, he would have to clear waivers to head back to the minors, thus allowing other teams to put in a claim for him. For now, it seems he'll be heading back to Sweden for at least this season. Utah retains his rights as a restricted free agent with the stalemate between both sides not being resolved for the time being.
Source:
Craig Morgan on X
Source: HockeyDB
Victor Soderstrom Stats
Warning: include(/home//inout/pub_inline.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in
/home/marqueur/public_html/news/auto/blogs_id/429106.php on line
37
Warning: include(): Failed opening '/home//inout/pub_inline.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in
/home/marqueur/public_html/news/auto/blogs_id/429106.php on line
37
| POLL |
SEPTEMBRE 13 | 142 ANSWERS Utah Hockey Club first-round pick demands a trade: may refuse to report to the NHL Will Victor Soderstrom remain in the NHL this season? |
| Yes | 31 | 21.8 % |
| No | 111 | 78.2 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
|
Feb 28 | By Tom Banks Vancouver Canucks' Contract Offer to Brock Boeser Leaks Publicly |
|
Feb 28 | By Tom Banks Montreal Canadiens Star Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery |
|
Feb 28 | By Daniel Lucente Philadelphia Flyers Officially Looking to Trade Former 39-Goal Scorer |
|
Feb 28 | By Daniel Lucente Evander Kane May Be in His Final Days in Edmonton After Friedman Reveals New Information |
|
Feb 28 | By Jack Sutherland Maple Leafs Forward Pulls Back Trade Request |
|
Feb 27 | By Jack Sutherland Brad Marchand Goes Viral for Passionate Video Ahead of Four Nations Faceoff Final |
|
Feb 27 | By Jack Sutherland David Pastrnak's Latest Comments Suggest Bruins Will Be Big Sellers at the Deadline |
|
Feb 27 | By Julien Trekker 6-Foot-6 Winger Linked to the New York Rangers at the Trade Deadline |
