One down, two to go.
The Detroit Red Wings signed one of their three restricted free agents, Jonatan Berggren, to a new contract. The deal spans one year, at $825,000. The team announced the signing on social media. Previously, the team announced an $875,000 cap hit, but that number was incorrect.
Last season, Berggren spent most of the year in Grand Rapids, where he led the team in scoring with 56 points in 53 games. It was a step back considering he had played his rookie season in 2022-23, to the tune of 28 points in 67 games. The 12 NHL contests Berggren did get into last season saw him produce six points, mostly in a depth role that forced him to step out of his comfort zone as a scoring-driven winger. This exposed some weaknesses in the defensive capacities of his game, and these left questions as to his long term viability with Detroit.
A one-year deal at such a cheap AAV is a prove-it deal for Berggren. Detroit anticipates him being with the big club given that the 2018 second round pick is no longer waiver exempt. Should he prove to be effective with the Red Wings, he can earn more money next offseason when he will be a restricted free agent once again. This is not dissimilar to the case of teammate Joe Veleno, who Detroit also took until nearly training camp to sign last season before he earned a much more substantial contract this offseason.
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For now, the Red Wings have invested in one more year with Berggren, although his name has circled in trade rumors since December 2023. As an RFA, it was almost a given that Berggren was going to get signed, but the timing three days before training camp ensures that he will have a more favorable camp as he tries to prove he belongs with the NHL roster.
Perhaps the most significant takeaway from Berggren’s contract is where it leaves Detroit’s other two RFA negotiations, those being extensions for Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Detroit has a shade over $16.8 million left in cap space, plenty of room to go long with extensions for either player. Their combined contracts will have a long-term impact on the future of the Red Wings’ cap sheet given their importance to the team and the likelihood that they ink long-term deals. By getting Berggren at such a cheap cost,…