Another Swedish defender will be heading to North America soon, as HV71 has announced that Andreas Borgman will be leaving the team for the NHL. They report that he already has a contract, though don’t specify which team it is with. Borgman won Rookie of the Year in the SHL this season after scoring 15 points in 45 games and another 10 in the playoffs en route to HV71’s league championship.
Along with Calle Rosen and Philip Holm, both of whom have been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the exodus of young Swedish defenders looks like it will be quite drastic this summer. Borgman had just played his first season in the SHL, though he had developed in the second league with Timra and Vasteras previously. Undrafted, he was ranked 36th among International skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting in 2013.
Now 21, Borgman says in the translated article that it is a “boyhood dream come true” to sign with an NHL club. While there is no indication which team it is, it would be surprising to see the young defender step right into a full-time role. Though his game did take a tremendous leap forward this year, he’ll be just 22 when the season starts with almost zero experience on North American ice.