Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Flyers made an important decision regarding one of their top prospects. Jack Berglund, who made his North American debut with the Phantoms last season, will be heading back to the SHL. Berglund has one more year on his contract with Färjestad BK and should be poised for an important season.
Berglund spent almost the entire season in the SHL, which was a huge step forward for the 20-year-old. His seven goals and 12 points in 40 games don't sound all that impressive, but Berglund wasn't high on the team's depth chart. After his SHL season, he signed his entry-level contract and appeared in the AHL just a few days later. So there was some thought that Berglund would remain in North America.
But simply making the SHL roster full-time doesn't mean that he has achieved all he can at the top level in Sweden. Having spent an entire season essentially with the big club, one would believe the team shares a belief in his abilities at the highest level. Especially when he only spent 17 games with Färjestad BK the prior year. That makes this upcoming season a pivotal one for Berglund.
The hope should be that he earns top-six minutes and continues developing his game down the middle. Last season, Berglund averaged 12:47 and likely wasn't seeing much power-play time, though he managed to score one goal on the man advantage. So an increased ice time and more opportunities could make this a big season for Berglund.
Berglund staying in the SHL should be the right move
With the Flyers deciding over a month before training camp, there has to be some thought that they know Berglund is better off staying in the SHL for one more season. There are a few factors that could also have influenced this decision. Even if Philadelphia would've rather had Berglund fighting for an NHL role, the chances of him earning one were rather slim.
Denver Barkey and Alex Bump have almost certainly earned their spots on the NHL roster next season. Nikita Grebenkin will be fighting for playing time after signing a two-year contract. There's also the new addition of Noel Acciari and the re-signing of Carl Grundstrom. The Flyers' top six is rather set, and most spots in the bottom six are taken as well. It was going to be hard for Berglund to break through and be put in a spot that was best for his development.
Why not the AHL, considering Berglund got his feet wet at the end of last season? The Phantoms will already have Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble taking up center roles, with the latter needing to play an important role. Not to mention the team will have plenty of other young players with limited AHL time, considering their roster will be very different from last season. While the Flyers would've had a much closer eye on Berglund in the AHL, he may not have gotten the crucial playing time that he needed with so many new faces around.
On the surface, it may feel like a disappointing decision. Berglund has risen on the Flyers' prospect depth chart, and it would've been exciting to see him in North America full-time. But digging deeper, it makes the most sense for him to have one more year in the SHL. Färjestad BK finished fifth in the standings last season, losing in the quarterfinal round. There has to be some unfinished business for Berglund and the team.
Hopefully, we are here next year talking about a big season for Berglund and how he is more than ready to take a spot on the Flyers' roster.
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