Ducks forward signs with a Swedish professional league

Brynas IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier professional league, has signed Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg to a two-year contract, the team announced. 

Financial terms were not disclosed. Silfverberg announced last week that he would be retiring from the NHL at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old now returns to the club where he spent the entirety of his junior and professional career before arriving in the NHL with the Senators in 2012. 

It’s far from an unexpected move. As far back as May 2023, reports out of Sweden indicated that Silfverberg planned to return to Brynas after his contract in Anaheim expired this offseason.

The pair of news items over the last week put a bow on Silfverberg’s decade in SoCal, which began when the Ducks acquired him, along with Stefan Noesen and a first-round pick that became Nick Ritchie, from Ottawa for Bobby Ryan in the 2013 offseason. 

He’s been a mainstay in the Anaheim lineup since, suiting up 771 times over the past 11 years. The 2009 second-round pick posted 158 goals and 354 points while averaging 16:23 per game, earning Selke Trophy votes in three straight seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

Now in his mid-30s, it may be ambitious for Brynas supporters to hope Silfverberg picks up where he left off. His final season with the club in 2011-12 was nothing short of electric. 

He played in the top-level Elitserien (now Swedish Hockey League) and captained the club while posting 54 points in 49 games, leading the league in points per game. The two-way winger is likely in line for a middle-six role there.

Brynas may currently be in the HockeyAllsvenskan, but there’s a strong chance Silfverberg will play in the SHL next season. 

They were the best team in the regular season with a 33-5-3-11 record and have advanced to the finals against Djurgardens IF. Their best-of-seven series begins Wednesday. The winner will gain promotion back to the top level in 2024-25.