Veteran European stars sometimes find it difficult transitioning to North America. That was not the case with Soderberg once he decided to join the NHL - and was allowed to do so.
A gifted playmaker with a strong defensive game and superior puck smarts that enable him to perform despite being nearly blind in his left eye, the Swedish wing/center was a second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues (No. 49) in the 2004 NHL Draft. A homesick Soderberg left his first Blues training camp in September of 2006 at age 20 rather than report to the team's AHL affiliate.
Veteran European stars sometimes find it difficult transitioning to North America. That was not the case with Soderberg once he decided to join the NHL - and was allowed to do so.
A gifted playmaker with a strong defensive game and superior puck smarts that enable him to perform despite being nearly blind in his left eye, the Swedish wing/center was a second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues (No. 49) in the 2004 NHL Draft. A homesick Soderberg left his first Blues training camp in September of 2006 at age 20 rather than report to the team's AHL affiliate.
He played 10 seasons in Sweden before deciding to leave his homeland again late in the 2012-13 season and join the Boston Bruins, who had acquired his rights in a 2007 trade. But Swedish hockey officials blocked the move, hoping it would compel Soderberg to play for his country in the World Championship.
Soderberg, the second-leading scorer in the Swedish Elite League that season with 31 goals and 60 points in 54 games, refused to play for the national team. The standoff ended with Soderberg joining the Bruins and making his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 20, 2013. One day later, he assisted on a Jaromir Jagr goal for his first NHL point in a 3-0 win against the Florida Panthers.
That spring, Soderberg became the second player in Bruins history to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in the Final when he appeared in Game 5 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Soderberg quickly produced in 2013-14 after an ankle injury sidelined him for the first six games of Boston's season. He had three assists while helping the Bruins win the first three games he played. He finished the season tied for third on the Bruins in assists (32) and fifth in power-play goals (five).
That spring, Soderberg dressed for all 12 of Boston's playoff games. He scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff point in Game 4 of the Bruins' first-round series win against the Detroit Red Wings. His first playoff goal, in Game 5 of Boston's second-round series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, was part of a three-point game in a 4-2 Bruins win.
After Soderberg finished 2014-15 tied for third among Bruins scorers (44 points), Boston traded the pending free agent to Colorado in June 2015 for a sixth-round draft pick. The Avalanche signed Soderberg to a five-year contract through 2020.
