A former third-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2015 NHL draft, Lukas Vejdemo spent three seasons playing in North America, splitting his time between the Habs and their farm club, the Laval Rocket. After playing in just six NHL games in the 2021-22 season, he elected to go back home to Sweden.
Since the 2023-24 season, he’s been plying his trade with Leksands IF in the Swedish Hockey League, and he’s one of their most experienced forwards. Unfortunately for the left-shot center, however, a few days ago, he took a puck to the head in practice, and nothing has been the same for him since then.
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According to an article published by Viggo Ekebjar on Falu-Kuriren, the former Hab doesn’t hear anything at all in the ear on the side where he received the puck. The forward is hoping the situation will resolve itself, but surgery could be necessary.
Last season, Vejdemo put up 16 points in 48 games and was an alternate captain for his SHL side on top of playing a couple of games internationally for the Tre Kronor. Given the fact that the NHL players are now back at the Olympics, it’s doubtful that Vejdemo could have a spot on the roster, even if he had remained healthy.
2015 wasn’t a great year for the Canadiens in the draft; they picked Noah Juulsen in the first round, and while the defenseman is still in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, he only played 44 games with the Canadiens before being claimed by the Florida Panthers on waivers. The added Vejdemo in the third round, Matthew Bradley in the fifth, Simon Bourque in the sixth, and Jeremiah Addison in the seventh.
Hopefully, Vejdemo makes a full recovery and can rejoin his team sooner rather than later. The regular season is fast approaching in Sweden as the SHL kicks off its season on September 13.
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