Why Jonatan Berggren’s Next Contract is More Important than you Think

Since December, Red Wings forward prospect Jonatan Berggren has practically had his foot out the door in the mind of fans and media. He's been the target of trade rumors, and his fruitless late-season call-up left a lot of glaring questions as to his long term role in Detroit. It's not a question of how the restricted free agent will fit into the roster next season, but rather if he'll be on it at all.

The Red Wings shouldn't let him walk out the door just yet.

In terms of scoring per dollar, Berggren could be a silently vital player for the Red Wings going forward. Because of his knack for scoring and his likely cheap contract, he can be a source of goals for a Detroit team that will lose some depending on how its free agents shake out. If the Red Wings can scheme around Berggren's off-puck inefficiencies or train him to be better, he could be a high-return investment.

Make no mistake, Berggren's game is a mixed bag. At his best, Berggren leverages his sneaky playmaking ability to make plays that others don’t see. This is a trait that’s really hard to teach. Because of this, Berggren has a whole lot of upside. The issue, however, has always been what he’s doing without the puck. Battling, forechecking, positioning haven’t been up to snuff. And whereas a player of Kane's caliber can get away with these same issues due to sheer scoring volume, Berggren isn't at that star level.

Berggren's issues aren't his alone — they're also a product of Detroit misusing him. A player of Berggren’s scoring focus is best when he can play in the top six and get more leash to create offense. That's what he did with Grand Rapids in the AHL, where his 56 points in 53 games were 19 more than his closest teammate (Carter Mazur, for those curious). Yet, in playing Berggren on a fourth line tasked to check and grind, Detroit didn’t set Berggren up for success. It was a square peg, round hole dynamic, and Berggren couldn't make himself fit the Red Wings' needs. 

This problem was somewhat borne out of advantages elsewhere — Berggren simply got passed on the depth chart by Detroit acquiring Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. But that situation might change in the future. If Detroit can't re-sign Kane, and if it can't find cap space to bring in a different free agent, Berggren has the ability to provide scoring in a top six role that suits his strengths. He could also do so in somewhat of a gadget player role, used on the power play and as a reserve scorer much in the way Daniel Sprong was used last season.

Overall, Berggren can provide offense for a team that's probably going to see some goals disappear with any free agents that leave this offseason. On a cheap contract, he can also save money to spend on retaining some of those free agents, too.

So far, Detroit's plan to solve its likely loss of goal-scoring has centered around defensive discourse. Head coach Derek Lalonde and general manager Steve Yzerman both clearly communicated to end the season that the Red Wings have to get better defensively. As Yzerman put the goals-against problem,” It’s incumbent upon our coaching staff to instill or improve, continue to work on whether it's a different system or getting better in the way we play, and improving our players in the system.”

Yzerman wasn’t directly talking about Berggren, but he is referencing a similar situation. Coaches have to get the most out of their players, even if they have clear flaws. It’s on Lalonde and his assistants to get Berggren to battle and check and defend, or otherwise scheme around him to make him a useful asset.

But teaching these defensive principles is difficult, and Detroit can make up for some bumps in the road by trying to keep its scoring intact. Berggren can add to the goals-for even if he'll cost some against. All that matters is that he stays ahead of the count, especially if defensive endeavors are successful elsewhere on the roster.

The need to make Berggren's situation work is only growing for the Red Wings. Under a cap crunch as they have to pay players on a more competitive roster, Lalonde and his staff have to find a way to get the most out of Berggren and his budget friendly presumably incoming extension.

As much as this question is one of Berggren’s identity, it’s also one of his development. Through the playoff run with Grand Rapids and this upcoming offseason, Berggren has the opportunity to hone his defensive skills in addition to the bigger-faster-stronger rat race of the offseason. If he seizes it, he’d surely shrink some of the concerns with bringing him along to next year’s roster. Hockey players don’t come out of the womb with keen checking skills and the pugnacious spirit to muck up the boards. These are learned skills, and the 24-year-old Berggren is young and dynamic enough to learn them.

How much he can learn is a variable in question. He’s a Mustang more so than an F-150, and asking him to scrap flashy scoring for strenuous grinding is asking him to change a lot of core parts of his game.

Perhaps there’s a way for Berggren to get top six minutes that fit his profile better if the Red Wings can’t re-sign Patrick Kane. If Detroit wants to maintain its high scoring offense, it will have to bring someone in who can score goals, probably through free agency if not through Kane. At the very least, there’s scoring potential in Berggren if he’s given the proper runway. But that’s a backup plan more so than one to scheme around.

The Berggren Dilemma for Detroit is he has so much potential to be a great scorer, but it’s in a position where its depth and competency allows it to make many different decisions. It can decide which of its prospects not only play really well, but also fit the identity of hockey that it wants to play. It can be picky.

For now, Berggren is still an asset the Red Wings seem willing to invest in, and they'd be wise to do so given the returns they could get on a low-cost extension.