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A first round-pick of Utah on the trade market
Faithful to their habits, the former Arizona Coyotes organization, now relocated to Utah, appears to be on the verge of giving up on a former first-round pick of the team.
Selected 11th overall in 2019 by Arizona, the Swede Victor Soderstrom has never lived up to the expectations placed on him.
According to an announcement from the new management team, the right-shot defenseman is officially available on the market, and according to circulating reports, the asking price in exchange would be a bargain.
«We also learn that, even though Utah is open to re-signing defenseman Victor Soderstrom, who is a restricted free agent, the team is also exploring trades for the 2019 11th overall pick.
Soderstrom, 23, has yet to establish himself in the NHL, playing a total of 53 games over the past three seasons.» - Craig Morgan, journalist
Soderstrom, 23, has yet to establish himself in the NHL, playing a total of 53 games over the past three seasons.» - Craig Morgan, journalist
Active on the market since the draft, Utah has just added two regular defensemen with Sergachev and Marino. With these acquisitions, it is understood that Soderstrom's future in 2024-2025 is likely to be in the minor leagues or in Europe, barring multiple injuries.
Victor Soderstrom placed on the trade market
The young Swedish defenseman had garnered a lot of attention in international competitions. Observers noted his mature play, but he was good at everything without excelling at anything. This reminds one of Olli Juolevi. Arizona scouts even claimed he was the third player on their list ahead of players like Kirby Dach, Bowen Byram, Moritz Seider, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, and others. Let's just say that statement hasn't aged well!
On two occasions, Kent Hughes acquired players from that draft year, Kirby Dach (3rd overall pick) and Alex Newhook (16th overall pick).
Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 185 pounds, Victor Soderstrom is a 23-year-old Swedish right-shot defenseman capable of averaging 0.5 points per game in the American Hockey League, but the jump to the NHL has been difficult.
In recent seasons, he has scored 32 points in 62 games, 21 points in 44 games, and 19 points in 32 games, all in the AHL.
In his NHL career, he has recorded 11 points in 53 games, along with 30 penalty minutes. He is still far from being considered a top-4 defenseman according to analysts.
Details to follow.
As a right-shot defenseman, he is a relatively rare commodity. What would be the price to acquire Victor Soderstrom's services? A first-round pick seems increasingly unlikely.
Credit: HABSolumentFan
A former first-round pick available at HC Utah
A former first-round pick available at HC Utah
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 15 | 130 ANSWERS A first round-pick of Utah on the trade market Do you think that Victor Soderstrom will play as regular defence in the NHL this year? | ||
| Yes | 52 | 40 % |
| No | 78 | 60 % |
| List of polls | ||