3 promising prospects who will help turn the Red Wings into annual playoff contenders

Jonatan Berggren could finally stick around next season

It’s so tough what to make of Jonatan Berggren, as he’s been given quite a few chances over the last two years to make that transition to the NHL full-time. That looked like the case last season when he suited up for 67 games and scored 15 goals with 13 helpers, and he managed to stick around from his debut on November 10th, 2022, to Detroit’s final game on April 13th. 

Berggren was with Detroit for just a handful of games this season before he returned to the AHL, where he was one of the Griffins star players, scoring 46 points and 19 goals in 43 games, which earned him a recall back to the NHL. He took the ice again on March 9th in a Red Wings loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, played in two more games, and hasn’t seen the ice since March 14th. 

With all the chances Yzerman has given Berggren, there is no way the Red Wings general manager is letting the restricted free agent walk following the season. Maybe Berggren isn’t suited to play anything more than the lower lines in the NHL, but it would be tough to see him fail to make the lineup next year, barring an abysmal showing in the preseason. 

Berggren has shown off his elite ability in the AHL, but he has yet to translate it to the NHL level. If he can establish himself somewhere on the bottom-six, he will be in Detroit for the foreseeable future and with his brewing experience, eventually help them sustain some success.