Jonatan Berggren talks getting back in Red Wings lineup
Detroit Red Wings Jonatan Berggren & Todd McLellan, March 17, 2025 in Detroit.
Jonatan Berggren got a nice raise albeit only on a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, continuing a relationship that dates to the 2018 draft.
The Wings re-signed Berggren on Monday, June 30, for one year at $1.83 million. Berggren, a restricted free agent, made $825,000 last season. He’ll be restricted again when his new deal expires.
Berggren’s skills are not in dispute: He potted 15 goals in his rookie season in 2022-23. But he spent the majority of the following season in the minors (making just 12 appearances with the Wings). A second-round pick from 2018, he was no longer exempt from waivers last season, and had to be on the Wings’ roster.
Berggren finished with 12 goals among 24 points in 75 games in 2024-25.
He has been a healthy scratch both under coach Derek Lalonde and under Todd McLellan, who replaced Lalonde at Christmas. The message was the same: Be harder to play against, be better in the defensive zone.
The length of the contract is ideal for both sides: The Wings don’t commit much term to a player they still want to see more from, and for Berggren, it’s an opportunity to prove he’s deserving of yet more money – and more term – next summer.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her books: “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of Hockeytown,” and “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.