Report: Bruins, Soderberg agree to deal

ESPNBoston.com reported Tuesday that the Boston Bruins have reached an agreement on a multiyear contract with Swedish forward Carl Soderberg.

According to the report, the sides are waiting for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association to approve the transfer of Soderberg from Linkoping in the Elitserien, the top Swedish professional league, to the Bruins.

Soderberg can play immediately for the Bruins and will be eligible to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs because the team already held his rights. Chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the second round of the 2004 NHL Draft, he was acquired by the Bruins in 2007 in exchange for goaltender Hannu Toivonen. Boston long had been trying to lure the 6-foot-3, 218-pound forward to the NHL, but until now he had elected to stay in Sweden.

In 54 games with Linkoping this season, Soderberg had a league-high 31 goals was second with 60 points. Linkoping and Soderberg were eliminated from the SEL playoffs last Friday.

In 2011-12, Soderberg was second on his team in points (35) and assists (21), and was tied for second in goals (14).

Prior to joining Linkoping, he skated in 219 games with the Malmo Redhawks from 2005-10, totaling 80 goals and 159 assists. In his first full season with the club, 2005-06, he had 39 points in 39 games to help the team win promotion from Allsvenskan, the Swedish first division, to the Elitserien.