The Chicago Blackhawks have traded the rights to Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom to the Boston Bruins in exchange for defense prospect Ryan Mast and a seventh-round pick, per Scott Powers of The Athletic. Soderstrom made a return to Sweden’s SHL this season, after spending the last four years muddling through the Arizona Coyotes depth chart. Chicago acquired his rights alongside the rights to depth forward Aku Raty and retired defender Shea Weber at the 2025 Trade Deadline. In return, the now-Utah Mammoth received a 2026 fifth-round pick.
It’s an apt time to buy high on Soderstrom’s NHL rights. He had a true breakout year in the SHL, netting nine goals and 37 points in 49 appearances. Those marks ranked Soderstrom second on the Brynas IF blue-line in scoring, two points behind Charle-Edouard D’Astous. Soderstrom had no shortage of flashy plays over the course of Brynas’ season, using deceptive stickhandling and instinctive offense to blow by opponents and set up his teammates. One of his favorite targets was former Anaheim Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg, who led Brynas in scoring with 47 points in 52 games.
But despite the strong return to Swedish pros, Soderstrom’s tenure in North America is still one to forget. He was originally drafted 11th-overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, but quickly struggled to find a role in the Arizona pipeline. He joined the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners in 2020-21 and scored 10 points in 32 games played, good enough to also earn the first four games of his NHL career, where he potted two points. But Soderstrom then ran cold, and didn’t manage any scoring through 16 NHL appearances in the following year. He did bolster his minor-league scoring, though, with 19 points in 32 games – just enough to earn another trip to the NHL in 2022-23. That tenure proved a bit more promising – headlined by nine points in 30 games – but Soderstrom again struggled to make it stick. He completed two more productive seasons in the minors, but closed his trip through North America with a measly 11 points in 53 NHL games, despite 82 points in 170 AHL games.
A move to Boston will mark another potential home for the flashy puck-handler. The Bruins could sorely use a right-shot defender after trading shutdown man Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Deadline. Soderstrom is still only 24-years-old and could reasonably spend a few more years in Sweden before offering Boston his prime years. That will be the upside Boston hopes for, at least – though it’s a shrewd bet at the cost of just a depth prospect and fifth-round pick.
The other focal piece of the move, defender Ryan Mast, played through his rookie year in the AHL this season. He recorded just five points, 19 penalty minutes, and a plus-seven through 37 games with the Providence Bruins – quaint totals after he posted 16 points in 47 ECHL games last year. Mast is 6-foot-5 and plays his best hockey on the defensive side of the puck, where he uses a long and effective reach to force opponents into the corners and away from the puck. Hot scoring won’t be what many fans remember Mast for, but he could find his way into a small NHL role with a few more years of learning to handle pro offenses. He’ll be a low-risk, low-reward addition to a Blackhawks’ pipeline geared firmly on the future.
It’s obvious the Hawks ” Type” Of defenseman they want is big, Long reach and intimidating. Whether it works or not the Hawks might want to trade a couple of these guys to the Bulls who don’t believe in the position ” Power Forward”. I don’t really care, This team needs some kind of identity. They are much closer to being a solid defensive team than an offensive one anyway. With Raty gone and Soderstrom gone and Weber toast he’s the only guy left fom the deal except a 7 million dollar hole.
This all but signifies a porter Martone 3oa…Bédard is not that player he tries but he’s no mcDavid…or Crosby…Bédard will never be a championship team leaped I promise you that he’s not that kind of player
And you can tell this when he’s 20 years old right? Because you’re an astute judge of hockey talent. You should make yourself known because I’m sure lots of teams would want in on your vast knowledge base. LMAO. I’m Not really sure why Bedard draws such a vast pool of haters but I’m going to be loving the day when he gets the line mates that grow with him and he becomes the big star he’s sure to become. But keep on rooting against the kid and be willing to eat crow someday.
Is it a 5th or 7th round pick?
The Hawks sent a 5th round pick to the Mammoth. They got back a 7th round pick from Boston. Who has as much of a chance of playing for the Hawks as I do.
LoL !!
Can you play defense?
Don’t sell yourself short… Do you know what skates are? You might be in
Athletic peak is ages 27-28. A “few years” in Sweden would put this chap PAST his prime.
This whole transaction from start to finish isn’t going to go down as one of Davidson’s finest. He took on 7 million dollars plus and gave up a 5th round draft pick for 2 players who aren’t even here anymore. They should have gotten at least a 1st round pick back for eating 7 million bucks alone. I wonder how Danny Wirtz feels about this whole deal? SMH
when you need to reach the cap floor, a $7M cap hit is a good thing to acquire.
Remember, there’s likely to be 8-10 players on ELCs this year, and he wants to “turn it over to the kids,” so he’s not signing 7 free agents like last year.
7 million+ in cap space which can be buried on LTIR after they, hopefully, get close to the cap ceiling.
1 million in base salary which I think can maybe be covered by insurance, perhaps…..
link to puckpedia.com
Yeah, not great, but they did get Mast, who’s two years younger, signed, and fits the player profile they like on D. We’ll see.