Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren was given the opportunity to reach a new career-high in NHL games played in the 2024-25 NHL season, skating in 75 out of 82 games.
Berggren, who scored 15 goals in the 67 games he played in during the 2022-23 NHL campaign, managed just 12 goals with 12 assists this past season. While his future in Detroit appeared somewhat cloudy, he affixed his signature to a one-year contract extension in June.
Berggren knows that the upcoming 2025-26 season could be a make-or-break campaign for him that will go a long way in determining his future NHL path, as he recently explained to the Red Wings' official website.
“Last year was a good year for me,” Berggren said. “I feel like I got more opportunity after Todd [McLellan] became head coach, and I think I played better. This one-year deal is a prove-it-deal for me. I want to show what I can do.”
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After his first real NHL experience in 2022-23, Berggren would then spend the majority of the following season in the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He scored at just over a point-per-game pace, racking up 24 goals with 32 assists for 56 points in the 53 games he played.
Berggren also expressed appreciation for the security that his new one-year contract affords him with the Red Wings heading into the upcoming campaign.
BERGGREN OUT OF THE BOX AND THE WINGS WIN IT WITH 35 SECONDS LEFT 😱 pic.twitter.com/uyx9D7R4Eq
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 3, 2025
“It felt like I was part of the team,” Berggren said. “It’s hard when you’re going up and down between the AHL and NHL, so I got that confidence being there for a full year and I’m going to build off that.”
The good news for the Red Wings is that Berggren, who has often gone by the affectionate nickname "Jonny Burgers", believes he's in a much better position physically than he was two seasons ago.
“Especially last summer, I feel like that was really good and then at Training Camp, everything felt good,” Berggren said. “I took another step last year, but I feel like I’m starting at a higher level this year maybe than where I was two years ago. I want to do the same thing this summer because I feel like that’s going to give me a good result this year.”
Berggren, who got a chance near the end of last season to play on Detroit's top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, expressed optimism for the Red Wings beginning the new season with Todd McLellan as head caoch.
“I feel like we played really good hockey when Todd came in,” Berggren said. “Now that we’re going to start with him, it’s going to be good to have a full camp with the new systems rather than how we had to learn during the middle of the season. That’s going to be huge.”
The countdown is now approximately a month and a half until Berggren and the rest of his Red Wings teammates gather in Traverse City for Training Camp, which will be followed by their first exhibition matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on September 23.
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