After nearly a decade playing in the SHL, Anton Bengtsson may be ready to test the North American waters. The veteran forward is drawing NHL interest, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who notes that it would be for a bottom-six role.
Bengtsson, 28, is coming off easily the best season of his career, scoring 20 goals and 39 points in 49 games for Rogle BK. He’d previously reached career highs of just 13 and 19 respectively, meaning this year sticks out as a huge outlier. Still, with ten seasons of experience in one of the most structured and successful leagues in the world, it makes sense for an NHL team to at least give him an opportunity to prove what he can do in North America.
While Andrei Kuzmenko seems to be the talk of the town among European free agents–Friedman notes that interviews with teams will begin after the U18 tournament that is currently underway in Germany–Bengtsson represents part of the next level of talent that teams can pick through to try and add depth to their organization.
We’ve seen countless players like him come and struggle in the NHL but also some that find immediate success. Perhaps in the right spot Bengtsson will fall into the latter category and can provide some strong two-way play in a limited role.