If it wasn’t clear that Johan Sodergran’s time with the Los Angeles Kings was over, it is now. The young forward has signed a two-year contract with MODO in Sweden’s second tier.
Sodergran, 22, signed his entry-level deal with Los Angeles in 2019 but ended up playing in just 55 games in North America. This season, he suited up just seven times for the Ontario Reign before being loaned to the DEL, where he ended up winning a league championship with Eisbaren Berlin. In 2020-21, he also played overseas, loaned to Almtuna IS of the Allsvenskan before suffering a back injury that ended his year.
Given how much he struggled to produce in his time with Ontario, Sodergran was already a candidate to go unqualified this offseason. That likely won’t happen now that he’s signed overseas, but a return to the Kings organization certainly isn’t on the horizon. The team will be able to retain his exclusive rights by handing out that qualifying offer, though unless he experiences a real breakout, another NHL contract might not be waiting down the road.
It makes sense for a prospect like Sodergran to take his talents elsewhere, given how many forward prospects are in the Kings’ pipeline. Even with some of the top names graduating, there is another set of 19-year-olds soon to join the Reign attack, ones that will need plenty of playing time to continue their development. If there’s any chance of Sodergran taking his game to a new level, playing back in Sweden is likely the best option.