Coming off a 24-goal and 56-point season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Jonatan Berggren entered the 2024-2025 season as one of the most intriguing and exciting players on the Red Wings.
Berggren had a solid rookie year in 2022-2023 (15 goals and 28 points) before a logjam in the Detroit forward group forced him to spend most of last year in Grand Rapids. With notable players like David Perron and Daniel Sprong departing in the offseason, it appeared that 24-25 would finally be Berggren’s breakout.
Unfortunately, the presumed breakout did not happen for the 24-year-old Berggren.
Most have argued the last few seasons that Berggren just needed a chance and he would run with it. Considering the lack of offense and forward depth in Detroit this year, it is hard to see him getting a better chance and he did not do much with it.
Despite playing the most games of his NHL career at 75, Berggren had lower stats than his rookie year. He finished with 12 goals, 12 assists, and was a minus-13. His stats would have actually been worse if not for his four points in the last three games of the season.
He was also a staple on the second power-play unit for much of the year, but had just three power play goals.
All too often, Berggren was simply nonexistent on the ice. His superpower is supposed to be scoring and he does not offer a whole lot else when he is not putting up points. As an undersized forward, he is not a strong defender or physical presence on the ice and that remained true this year.
There is still some optimism for Berggren, however. In addition to still being very young, Berggren was on the bottom two lines for much of the season and did not have much talent around him. Part of the reason for his late-season success was because he was moved to the top lines with better players.
Berggren features a strong offensive profile, but does not have enough talent to be special on his own and needs playmakers around him. Theoretically, if he moves up the lineup or if the Wings improve their forward depth, then Berggren could thrive next year.
Still, this was supposed to be Berggren’s year and it is disappointing that we are left with the same questions we entered the season with.
Jonatan Berggren’s 2024-2025 season grade: D
Berggren’s season deserves a D for disappointment. He was not the worst player on the Wings this season, but he may have been the most disappointing. Hopefully, now that he has another full NHL season under his belt, he can take a leap next year and produce similarly to his Grand Rapids numbers.
It is also worth mentioning that Berggren may be a trade piece for the Red Wings this offseason. Despite his poor season, Berggren is still an intriguing prospect and Steve Yzerman could leverage that in a potential deal.
Additionally, Detroit has more high-profile forward prospects on the way, including Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. It is very possible that Berggren already blew his one chance at being a staple for the Red Wings and he may need to go elsewhere to live up to his potential.