Blackhawks loan Tim Soderlund to Almtuna IS of Sweden

The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that forward prospect Tim Soderlund has been loaned to Almtuna IS. The forward split time this past season between the Rockford Icehogs and Indy Fuel.

Tim Soderlund will get to have a Swedish homecoming, as the Blackhawks announced the transaction on Wednesday. Almtuna IS is a member of the HockeyAllsvenskan, which is the second-highest league in Sweden. Soderlund will be playing alongside Detroit Red Wings prospect Gustav Lindstrom, who has also been loaned to Almtuna.

It is kind of an interesting move, as he has previously played in Sweden’s highest league, the SHL. He has played 138 games in the SHL, with the majority of them with his hometown team, Skellefteå AIK. He has been relatively successful in those appearances, as he has tallied 18 goals and 17 assists for a total of 35 points.

Soderlund is only 22 years old and was a 4th round selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks. He has great skating speed and has strong puck skills. He is not afraid to try dangling a defender, but he is also willing to win puck battles against the boards. The prospect has drawn comparisons to Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson, who has been very successful in the NHL. Just check out this relatively easy finish he had against current Bruins star Tuukka Rask in a preseason matchup:

The move is projected to only last until training camp resumes when the season gets underway, but who knows if the AHL and ECHL will even be able to play this upcoming season due to the ongoing pandemic.

As I alluded to above, Soderlund spent this past season with both of Chicago’s minor league affiliates. With the Indy Fuel, he registered 2 goals and 4 assists for a total of 6 points in 7 games played. When he suited up for Rockford, he tallied one goal and two assists in 29 games played.

He has shown some flashes of skill throughout previous training camps, so expect the youngster to be a promising prospect for Chicago in the upcoming seasons.