Since Steve Yzerman took over as GM of the Detroit Red Wings in 2019, there’s been a special relationship between the team and the St. Louis Blues. Players go back and forth between the two clubs at an unusual rate of frequency.

Forward Jonathan Berggren, claimed on waivers by the Blues on Tuesday, is the latest player to travel through this portal.

Otto Stenberg and Jonatan Berggren are IN! Stenberg will make his NHL debut and Berggren will make his Blues debut tonight against Winnipeg. https://t.co/TStcga0MLF #stlblues

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 17, 2025

It’s known that Yzerman and Blues GM Doug Armstrong are friends. Evidently, that relationship often bleeds over into business transactions.

Yzerman’s first in-season trade as Red Wings GM was to send forward Jacob de la Rose to the Blues for forward Robby Fabbri on November 6, 2019.

Over the years, Ville Husso, Jake Walman, Oskar Sundqvist, and David Perron are other players who’ve moved directly from the Blues to the Red Wings. Meanwhile, Nick Leddy joins Berggren and de la Rose as players who went from Detroit to St. Louis in transactions.

That doesn’t take into account former Blues who made it to Detroit from other teams. Vladimir Tarasenko, who spent last season with the Wings, is an example of that.

Red Wings Discard Could Get His Chance In St. Louis

Detroit was waiting years for Berggren to show them some consistency. Perhaps he’ll find that level of play with St. Louis in the Show Me State.

“Bergey’s a real good hockey player,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “He’s a good human being. And when opportunity dries up in one spot, you got to think about the individual a little bit too, and maybe he’ll get an opportunity (in St. Louis).”

Teuvo Teravainen gets hit into the St. Louis Blues bench by Robby Fabbri. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ynwafFsRxw

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 13, 2025

Berggren will see plenty of familiar faces as he dons the Blue Note. He’s the fifth former Red Wings player to suit up for St. Louis this season, following Pius Suter, Sundqvist, Fabbri, and Matt Luff.

Oddly enough, for the first time since Yzerman took over the team’s GM position, this season, no former Blues are playing for Detroit.