Bruins’ Victor Söderström’s SHL breakout earns him another shot at the NHL: ‘This is a Big Opportunity’

Jun 19, 2025, 14:30 EDT

Bruins’ Victor Söderström’s SHL breakout earns him another shot at the NHL: ‘This is a Big Opportunity’

This story originally appeared on hockeysverige.se and has been translated from Swedish to English.

Sometimes, one step back can lead to two steps forward.

After a few challenging seasons in the Arizona Coyotes organization, Victor Söderström felt the need for a change. The former top prospect — drafted 11th overall by the Coyotes in 2019 — decided to return home to Sweden to reignite his career.

Last September, he signed with his former team Brynäs, which had just earned promotion back to the SHL. He immediately established himself as one of the league’s top defensemen, helping lead his team to the top of the standings.

The 24-year-old recorded nine goals and 37 points in 49 regular-season games and was named the SHL’s Defenseman of the Year, receiving the prestigious Salming Trophy.

“This season with Brynäs has meant so much to me—both as a hockey player and as a person,” he said, reflecting on a year in which he also made his debut with the Swedish national team and reached the SHL finals, where Brynäs ultimately fell to Luleå. “It’s been a bonus year, getting to be home and close to family and friends. Both my wife and I are from Gävle, so being able to spend more time with them during the season was something I wasn’t used to.”

While the NHL was always the dream, playing for a storied franchise back home wasn’t a bad gig, either.

“On the ice, it’s been a blast playing for Brynäs,” Söderström said. “I think we played really entertaining hockey—an exciting style that was a lot of fun to be part of, especially in front of all the Brynäs fans. I’ve been a Brynäs supporter for as long as I can remember, so I know how much this club means to the city. Being part of bringing Brynäs back to where it belongs—at the top of Swedish hockey—was incredibly special.”

It was exactly the type of season he needed to earn another shot at the NHL. The right-shooting defenseman had only appeared in 53 NHL games over four seasons in Arizona, including just three in 2023–24. Even with the Coyotes’ relocation to Utah, Söderström felt a fresh start elsewhere was necessary. Now, after a strong season on home soil, he is getting just that.

“For me personally, it felt great to come home and rediscover my game. I played with more confidence than I had in recent seasons. That’s meant a great deal for my development.”

After Utah traded Söderström’s rights to the Chicago Blackhawks in March, he was dealt once again this past weekend — this time to the Boston Bruins, who promptly signed him to a one-year deal worth the league minimum of $775,000.

“Chicago traded for my rights at the deadline. I didn’t hear much more than that—just that they informed me it had happened,” he said. “It was right in the middle of the season here, so I stayed focused on playing for Brynäs. We were heading into the playoffs, and I figured we’d deal with all that after the season.”

Once it became clear that the Blackhawks weren’t planning to sign the Swedish blueliner, things moved quickly last week.

“It all happened really fast — from when Boston acquired my rights to me signing. It was all part of the same sequence, really,” Söderström said. “From the first conversation I had with people in the organization, it felt right. I also got the impression that they really believe in me. This feels like a big opportunity to earn a spot in the NHL.”
“That was my goal when I came back to Brynäs—to make it back to the NHL, because that’s where you want to be. It’s the best league in the world, and I want to compete with and against the best players. I’m really excited for this.”

With the Bruins, Söderström will be teammates with Elias Lindholm, another Brynäs product who also hails from the Gävle region.

“I texted him right away. We’ve known each other a little from before, and it’s going to be really fun to play together,” he said, adding that making the NHL is the only goal on his mind heading into training camp.
“That’s the goal—and then to establish myself once I’m there,” he said. “Now I know a bit more about how things work over there from my previous experience. It’s all about working hard every day, staying humble, and trying to improve a little bit each time you step into the rink—whether it’s for practice or a game.”

Having played 170 AHL games with the Tucson Roadrunners, Söderström knows firsthand how tough it is to secure a permanent NHL spot. But the possibility of starting the season in the minors is not something he’s dwelling on.

“I’m not really focused on that right now. If that happens, I’ll deal with it then. The mindset is pretty much the same—just try to earn my way onto the NHL roster from there.”

SPONSORED BY bet365

Recent Articles from Steven Ellis

MORE FACEOFF.IN YOUR INBOX.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER