Swedish Defenceman Lukas Bengtsson may leave for NHL

Frolunda HC star defenceman Lukas Bengtsson is reportedly leaving for the NHL next season, according to Swedish sports website Expressen and Elliotte Friedman on twitter. Bengtsson was in development camp with the New York Rangers, but Friedman says that the Rangers may not be the team he goes to.

Bengtsson is coming back from a knee injury he sustained about a month ago. There are many indications that he could be back for Frolunda’s quarterfinal game on Thursday against Djurgarden. Bengtsson is considered one of Frolunda’s best offensive blueliners, which is supported by his ability to put up 30+ points when able to play a full season. So far this season, he’s only played 30 games and has 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists).

Bengtsson is reportedly in talks with NHL clubs, but which teams and how many are unknown. I look at the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs as teams that might be interested. Detroit is great at developing players, especially from Sweden (Nick Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg most notably). New York is going to need as much blueline depth it can get with Dan Boyle possibly retiring after this year. Toronto is loading up on prospects, and Bengtsson being one of the best offensive D-Men out there, they may try to make a play for the 21 year old.

Photo Credit: Carl Sandin