The Boston Bruins have made an early off-season splash, acquiring the rights to defenseman Victor Soderstrom from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defensive prospect Ryan Mast and a 2025 seventh-round pick. The deal, announced Friday, June 13, 2025, sees the Bruins add a potentially valuable piece to their defensive puzzle, while the Blackhawks continue to stockpile prospects and draft picks as part of their ongoing rebuild.

Soderstrom, 24, is a right-shot defenseman who was originally drafted 11th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2019 NHL Draft. After struggling to find a consistent role in North America, he returned to his native Sweden for the 2024-25 season, playing for Brynas IF Gavle in the SHL. There, he enjoyed a highly productive year, notching 9 goals and 28 assists for 37 points in 49 games. His performance earned him the Borje Salming Trophy as the SHL's best defenseman. In the playoffs, he added another goal and seven assists in 17 games.

Prior to his return to Sweden, Soderstrom played parts of four seasons in the Coyotes organization, splitting time between the NHL and AHL. He recorded 1 goal and 10 assists in 53 NHL games and 16 goals and 66 assists in 170 AHL games with the Tucson Roadrunners. The Coyotes then traded his rights to the Blackhawks as part of a larger deal at the 2025 trade deadline.

For the Bruins, the acquisition of Soderstrom addresses a need for depth and offensive skill on the right side of their blue line. The team traded Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs in March, and Henri Jokiharju is an unrestricted free agent. Soderstrom's strong performance in the SHL suggests he could be ready to contribute at the NHL level. However, the Bruins will first need to sign him to a contract, as he is currently a restricted free agent. He also has one year remaining on his contract with Brynas signed in September 2024, so it remains to be seen if this move is a precursor to a return to North America with the Bruins organization.

The Blackhawks, on the other hand, continue to focus on building for the future. In exchange for Soderstrom, they receive Ryan Mast, a 22-year-old right-handed defenseman who spent the 2024-25 season with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, recording five assists in 37 games. Mast was a sixth-round pick by Boston in the 2021 NHL Draft. He is a large defenseman, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 220 pounds, and has one year remaining on his contract. Chicago also acquired a seventh-round pick in the deal.

The trade appears to be a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for the Bruins. If Soderstrom can translate his SHL success to the NHL, he could become a valuable asset on their blue line. For the Blackhawks, the trade provides them with another prospect and a draft pick as they continue to rebuild their organization.