The Calgary Flames already added former Rockford IceHogs goaltender Jeff Glass on a professional tryout, and he’ll be joined by teammate Viktor Svedberg according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Svedberg wasn’t re-signed by the Chicago Blackhawks this summer after his recent two-year one-way contract expired. He’ll try to earn a similar deal in Calgary, or at least catch on with the organization for the next chapter in his hockey career.
Svedberg, 27, is a gargantuan defenseman that has flashed real shutdown potential in Rockford over the years but never quite put it all together for a lengthy run at the NHL level. He did receive 27 games with the Blackhawks in 2015-16, but they were spread between several stints and rarely did he receive an opportunity to really log substantial minutes. Last year he played 73 games in the AHL and recorded his career-high of 24 points, but doesn’t offer a ton of upside offensively for Calgary going forward. What he can bring, is an active stick that can reach nearly across the defensive zone given his 6’8″ frame and huge wingspan. While that may not be enough to jump into the Flames’ opening day roster, it should land him a role in the minor leagues somewhere.
There is a link between Rockford and new Calgary head coach Bill Peters, but Svedberg didn’t arrive from Sweden until after Peters had left to join Mike Babcock’s staff in Detroit. For the Flames, there is a need for extra bodies in camp given their preseason schedule that includes games in China, but there isn’t a ton of room on the roster for a player like Svedberg. Already the Calgary management team will have to decide between players like Dalton Prout, Rasmus Andersson and Josh Healey for the last few spots unless injuries occur over the next few weeks. Brett Kulak would appear to have the inside track for the third pairing given his 71-game season in 2017-18, but also was placed on and cleared waivers prior to his arbitration hearing this summer. The team could easily go in a different direction, which should give Svedberg at least a small sliver of hope as he heads to training camp.