Hurricanes’ Mock Trade: Necas to Red Wings for Berggren & More
As June flies by, we are just over 14 days away from July 1 and the start of the re-sign and free agency period in the NHL. Teams are starting to understand what they might want to do to begin their 2024-25 season roster construction. Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, they recently re-signed Jalen Chatfield to a three-year extension on June 14. However, there are a lot more moves to be made for the team that was the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the 2023-24 season.
When Seravalli mentioned the Detroit Red Wings, there is a case to be made to look at their roster and see what a possible deal could look like between them and the Hurricanes. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Carolina wants a star player to replace a star player in Necas going out.
Regarding the Red Wings, they have some soon-to-be-ready players who can play in the NHL for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Furthermore, they have a deep prospect pool that the Hurricanes can snag one of them as well and potentially a draft pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. That being said, there is a deal that could work that could send Necas to Detroit for an NHL-ready player, a prospect, and a 2024 draft pick.
The Hurricanes want a star player to come into the roster to replace Necas and there is someone within the Red Wings organization that fits that bill right away. It is none other than 23-year-old Swedish winger Jonatan Berggren.
The Uppsala, Sweden native had himself a 2023-24 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL). He tallied 24 goals and 56 points in 53 games for the Griffins who saw the Central Division Final for the first time since 2017. The 33rd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft had five goals and 10 points in nine games in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He also led the team in goals, assists, and points during the regular season by a wide margin.
While Berggren is listed at 5-foot-10, he is an offensively-minded forward who can contribute well on special teams, mainly the powerplay, and has the potential to play in the top six. He has a stocky build but is not overly physical. However, he is an energetic forward who can provide a second layer of offense. He’s got a great shot but he’s a distributor first and foremost.
Berggren is also viewed as more of a playmaker but can score when needed and fit within the shot-volume mindset of the Hurricanes. He is someone who thrives on possession. His ability to play with the puck helps bring defenders to him where his teammates can fill in the soft spots in the offensive zone and finish.
