Berggren Gets What Was Expected in Red Wings Pact

To no one’s surprise, forward Jonatan Berggren is the first of the three Detroit Red Wings restricted free agents to reach agreement on a new contract.

Also not surprising is the AAV – $825,000. It always figured that Berggren’s pact would come in around the neighborhood of $800,000.

It’s a one-year deal and again, that’s not at all surprising. Berggren is getting a prove it contract, much like the deal Joe Veleno was agreeing to a year ago.

Berggren has to play in the NHL this season. He can’t be sent back to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins without first clearing NHL waivers, and that’s not going to happen.

BERGY IS BACK! 🍔

The #RedWings have signed forward Jonatan Berggren to a one-year contract with an AAV of $825,000. pic.twitter.com/bxGkWx8FEF

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 16, 2024

The 24-year-old Swedish right-winger has taken on every challenge the Red Wings have been asking of him. He spent the majority of last season in the AHL following an NHL campaign in which he’d scored 15 goals in 67 games. Berggren would lead the Griffins in scoring with 24-32-56 totals in 53 games.

“He did a really good job in a really tough situation last year,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “I’ll never say anyone’s played themselves out of the American Hockey League. It’s just too good of a league. But he’s proven, or maybe more it’s he’s earned this opportunity.”

Money Slots In Nicely For Red Wings

Of course, Detroit must still get key RFAs defenseman Moritz Seider and left-winger Lucas Raymond to agree to new contracts. The Berggren pact is leaving the club with exactly $16,823,194 in available salary cap space.

Dividing up that remaining money into the contracts for these two players is the next task awaiting Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. Seider, the club’s best defenseman, will get the higher stipend. Figure around an AAV of $8.1-$8.3 million range.

The Detroit Red Wings still have a pair of big RFAs remaining in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.

What will their next contracts look like? @JamisonCoyle | @asgrimson | #LGRW | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/OOBZyWN5rp

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 15, 2024

Finishing as Detroit’s leading scorer last season, Raymond will be getting what’s left. That will be somewhere between $7.5-$7.7 million per season.

Everyone in the game has been expecting the money to land somewhere in these ranges. At this juncture, the sticking point is more likely term than it is cash.

The clock is ticking, though. The Red Wings open training camp Thursday in Traverse City.