Carl Soderberg's Swedish Team Eliminated From Playoffs
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Carl Soderberg watch has officially begun in Boston.
Several weeks ago, at the beginning of March, reports surfaced that the Bruins planned to finally bring aboard the 27-year-old Swedish forward once his season ended in Sweden. The Bruins have owned the rights to Soderberg since 2007, and the 6-foot-3 centerman would be a big-bodied addition to the Boston forward lines.
However, the season for Soderberg, who led the Swedish Elite League with 31 goals, didn't end in short fashion. His team, Linkopings HC, lost its playoff debut 6-0 to HV71 but then won four straight to advance to the second round of the postseason.
Linkopings then won Game 1 against Skelleftea AIK, but then lost four straight, officially ending the season on Friday.
Now, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli has to get to work in order to sign Soderberg to a contract and get him to Boston, if that's still the plan.
"I'm not hanging my hat on this," Chiarelli said of Soderberg earlier this week. "I hope to get him and if we get him he will help us. I do know where some parties involved will be. I don't know where some other parties involved will be in this."
In early March, Chiarelli said he was "close" to adding Soderberg. Since then, the team has lost Chris Kelly to a broken leg and Patrice Bergeron to a concussion, though the team did acquire Jaromir Jagr last week in a trade with Dallas.
The Bruins have 12 regular-season games remaining.
Soderberg scored 31 goals and had 29 assists in 54 games for Linkopings this season. He had a goal and an assist in six playoff games (he missed four games due to suspension).
