Sometimes it the grass isn’t greener on the other side. After being pursued heavily by several NHL teams in the spring of 2017, Victor Ejdsell has decided to return to Sweden after just a single full season in North America. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect has signed a two-year deal in the SHL.
Signed by the Nashville Predators in 2017, Ejdsell would stay in Sweden for most of the 2017-18 season to continue developing. While he was there the Blackhawks would acquire him as part of the return for Ryan Hartman, meaning his North American debut would come for the Rockford IceHogs. It didn’t take long for him to make the jump to the NHL, playing in six games for Chicago and recording one point. This season, he spent the entire year with the IceHogs but managed to tally just 29 points in 61 games.
A return to Sweden doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given the fact that Ejdsell’s NHL future wasn’t clear. It was obvious he couldn’t step right into a full-time role next season, but the Blackhawks have also added several other prospects of late that will challenge his playing time at the AHL level. Instead, he can now try to secure big minutes in the SHL where he played quite well in that 2017-18 season. By giving him a qualifying offer the Blackhawks will retain his rights, though it’s not clear if there is a future for him in the organization.
r/ihadastroke