Flames prospect William Strömgren moves from Rögle to Brynäs in the SHL
By Ryan Pike
1 year agoA Calgary Flames prospect has a new home in Sweden. Forward William Strömgren has had his contract with Rögle BK mutually terminated and he’s signed with Brynäs IF for the next two seasons.
Here’s a portion of Rögle’s statement, Google translated:
We thank William for his efforts here in Rögle and wish him the best of luck in the future. It has been a lot of fun working with him this past season. We want to help William get playing time in the SHL, but the tough competition makes it harder to get that playing time here, says Rögle’s sporting director Chris Abbott.
Here’s a portion of Brynäs’ statement, also via Google translation:
William was one of the most exciting players in the Allsvenskan and scored the most points of all the J18 players there. At times he was actually dominant. We were already interested before last year and when the chance now appeared we wanted to take it, says Johan Alcén and continues:He is extremely skilled with the puck and has great potential. We see him as a future name aiming to play in the NHL within a few years. We truly believe he will be able to grow in our environment with our leaders and players. At the same time, William will come in and push his new teammates and challenge for playing time.
Strömgren was the Flames’ second round selection, 45th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was solid (but not quite consistently great) for Rögle’s under-20 team last season, and he was used sparingly in the SHL and Champions League for their men’s team.
Moving to Brynäs puts him in a system with fewer high-end NHL prospects, which definitely makes it easier for him to get ice time at the SHL level. It’s a calculated risk for both Rögle and Brynäs, especially given that the NHL’s developmental agreement with Sweden usually results in money going to SHL organizations that produce NHL players.
As a 2021 pick from Europe, the Flames have until June 1, 2025 to sign Strömgren or they lose his NHL rights. His contract in Brynäs runs until the end of the 2023-24 season.
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