After having his contract terminated by the Flames last month, unrestricted free agent defenseman Nicklas Grossmann has signed with Orebro of the SHL, the Swedish team announced (link in Swedish). The deal is believed to be for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.
Grossmann attended Calgary’s training camp on a tryout, eventually landing a one year deal for the league minimum salary of $575K. He had spoken with Orebro about a deal at that time but preferred to try to stay in the NHL first. However, he had just a limited role with the Flames, getting into just three games before they waived him in early November. Instead of reporting to their AHL affiliate, the two sides agreed to terminate the contract, allowing him to pursue other opportunities.
The 31 year old had seen his role diminish in recent years as the league progresses more towards mobility on the back end over physicality and shot blocking. Nonetheless, Grossmann has carved out a pretty good career so far with 592 games of NHL experience, recording 86 points (13-73-86) while averaging over 2.1 hits and 1.5 blocks per game. A strong showing in Sweden could get him back on the NHL radar for next season or at the very least allow him to secure a longer-term deal back home.