May 9: HV71 announced that they have indeed signed Wedin. It’s a three-year deal which means he won’t be trying his hand in North America again anytime soon.
May 3: Last year, Blackhawks winger Anton Wedin decided to try his hand in North America and signed as an undrafted free agent with Chicago. It appears that his stay will be short-lived, however, as Aftonbladet’s Tomas Ros reports that Wedin will be returning to Sweden and is expected to sign with HV71 of the SHL. Farjestad was also believed to be interested in his services.
The 27-year-old played in four games with the Blackhawks this season but had a very limited role in those contests, averaging just 9:04 per game while being held off the scoresheet. However, he was much more productive with AHL Rockford, recording seven goals and ten assists in 31 contests but he also missed time due to a knee injury.
He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason but considering his lack of NHL experience, it would be hard to imagine him getting much interest if he stuck around and waited for the market to open up. Considering the NHL’s intention is to resume play, free agency may not be until September or later and by that time, international leagues may already be up and running. As a result, reaching a deal back home now is likely a smart decision for Wedin who could always retry the NHL if things go well next season.