Secret: Red wings on the verge of loosing a high profile top talent.

The Detroit Red Wings have to be hoping that Jonatan Berggren is able to make the most of this opportunity. After all, it will only mean good things for Detroit moving forward.

The Detroit Red Wings are in a tough spot right now. Grinding out some wins and picking up points is the one thing that will keep them alive in the playoff race. Without Dylan Larkin, the Red Wings have struggled to do much of anything. On top of that, the team went out and traded Klim Kostin to the San Jose Sharks in a trade deadline deal.

The Detroit Red Wings had to fill a roster spot, which meant calling up Jonatan Berggren. The Red Wings used a second-round pick on the Swedish forward back in 2019. Due to a clogged roster, he has been in a tough spot with the Red Wings organization. The Red Wings are giving him his chance, though.

When it comes to Jonatan Berggren, it is important that he gets some chances with the NHL roster and actually tries to prove himself in 2023-24. He got his first chances in 2022-23, but the Red Wings brought some added help to the forward core, making things tough for Berggren to try and carve out a role.

He became a waiver-exempt casualty in 2023-24 before the season started. However, due to injuries and loan call-ups, he has gotten a couple of chances here and there. With Larkin out, Berggren has been really getting an opportunity to strut his stuff, and he has made the most of it to this point.

Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren has been working hard.

Berggren was called up and has immediately found his stride with the offense. He’s played in two games since being called up and has an assist to his credit. While the Red Wings have looked horrible lately, Berggren has looked alright. He’s been one of the few bright spots.

It may not be a record-setting performance, but he’s been doing well, finding his way back into the Red Wings’ forward core once again. Berggren has played in 11 games overall, scoring two goals and adding four assists for six total points in the season; given his limited chances, he is not hanging in there.

However, he’s been working hard to get this chance to be back in Detroit. He thought he deserved his chance when the season started, but instead, he was sent to Grand Rapids to begin the season. Berggren played in 43 games, scoring 19 goals and managing 27 assists for 46 total points.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Jonatan Berggren.

Devin Little recently wrote for The Hockey Writers about how Berggren is at a critical point with the team. He mentions that Berggren has just three games left until he loses his waiver-exempt status and could play in 19 more games before the end of the season if he stays with the Red Wings.

But for Berggren, this has to mean a chance to prove he belongs. He can hang in the AHL and knows he has the skillset, but he has to be able to prove himself with the Red Wings. He also needs the chance to do so—this might be that chance.

One of the things that Little mentioned in his piece was that his next contract would be with the Red Wings. Barring a trade or offer sheet, he would end up being with the Red Wings once again. Would Steve Yzerman move him if Berggren does not want to be here?

There was much talk about moving Berggren before the trade deadline and apparent rumors of a rejected contract. It leaves a lot of unanswered questions, many of which will not be answered until the season ends. But, this time, playing for the Red Wings will mean a lot moving forward.