Prospect update: Jonatan Berggren to have shoulder surgery, out the rest of the season

Jonatan Berggren has been enjoying a nice bounce back season in the SHL. After missing the second half of the 2018-19 following back surgery, Berggren returned to Skelleftea’s lineup and made a noticeable impact. A regular on the highlight reel, Berggren has scored 2 goals and 12 points in 24 games, a big difference from the 3 points in 12 games he registered the season prior.

The 19-year-old also played his way onto the Swedish World Junior team, helping the Swedes capture a bronze medal.

Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, Berggren’s season is cut short. Friday morning, Skelleftea announced he’ll miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. The recovery time following surgery is expected to be six months.

“19-year-old Berggren has had a successful season so far with diligent SHL matching and games in JVM. Now it is confirmed that he has to operate his injured shoulder, which means a recovery time of about 6 months.” The club said in a statement.

This is a big blow for such a talented player. The Red Wings drafted Berggren 33rd overall in 2018 after lighting up the Swedish junior ranks as a 17-year-old. In the two years since being drafted, Berggren has only played in 40 of a possible 104 regular season SHL games.

Obviously, developmental wise, this is far from ideal. But if you’re looking for a silver lining, the two major injuries Berggren has suffered are not related. Moving forward, it’ll be interesting where he plays next season. The AHL seemed like a possibility, although, another year in the SHL might make more sense to ease him back into hockey.