Bruins sign Swedish winger Jesper Froden to NHL deal
Days removed from their second-round elimination at the hands of the New York Islanders, the Boston Bruins started their work for next season Monday, signing Jesper Froden to a one-year contract with an NHL cap hit of $842,500.
A 26-year-old winger, Froden skated in 52 games with Skellefteå AIK of the SHL in 2020-21, and scored a team-high 22 goals, and his 40 points were the third-most on the team. Froden’s 22 goals were also tied for the third-most among all SHL skaters.
Since joining Skellefteå AIK, who plays in Sweden’s top tier of professional hockey, in 2019-20, the 5-foot-9 Froden ranks second on the team in goals (34), third in points (69), and tied for third in assists (35).
“The Bruins are very pleased to be adding Jesper to our organization,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said. “We have tracked Jesper’s growth in the SHL where he has proven to be highly productive, competitive, and a smart, two-way player. Jesper is very excited to join a competitive team with the opportunity to compete for a roster spot.”
And despite never playing in North America, Froden has his share of connections to the Bruins (as much as one can when you consider that he’s never left Sweden anyway), as he was a teammate of David Pastrnak back in 2013-14 for Sodertalje SK and played with Par Lindholm this year following Lindholm’s departure from the Bruins.
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