Jordan Schroeder becomes another piece of the Brynäs puzzle

Former NHL first-round draft pick Jordan Schroeder has signed a one-year contract with Brynäs IF of the SHL. It’s yet another piece added to a roster being almost completely rebuilt after the team’s return to Sweden’s top league following a season in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan.

“It feels really good to have the opportunity to play in a club with as much history as Brynäs,” Schroeder, 33, was quoted on the club’s website. “This step feels absolutely right to me and what the club presented felt very good. The journey that the club is on and the players that have joined was something very enticing. I’m already looking forward to putting on the Brynäs jersey.”

A skilled, playmaking center with the U.S. National Team Development Program and the University of Minnesota, Schroeder was chosen 22nd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2009. However, he struggled to carve out a role for himself in the NHL with his 5-foot-9, 174-pound frame. Over 165 NHL games between 2013 and 2018 with the Canucks, Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, Schroeder recorded 42 points in 165 regular-season games. He also scored one goal in five playoff games.

Since 2019, Schroeder has plied his trade in Europe, which has been a better fit to his attributes. He spent three years in the KHL with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and Jokerit Helsinki, and played the past two seasons in Switzerland with the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers.

“We’ve been looking for another center and it feels great to be able to add Jordan to the team we are building,” said Brynäs sports director Johan Alcén. “He is a capable center with experience from many of the top leagues around the world. He is a valued teammate who knows what it takes to perform at the highest level.”

Internationally, Schroeder had eight points in seven games at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal with the USA. He also represented the USA at the 2016 World Championship.