Report: Multiple NHL Teams Interested In Canadian Defenseman In Sweden
In the team’s first season back in the SHL after earning a promotion from the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, Brynäs IF is tied for first in the standings with 33 points in 17 games.
The team’s success has come thanks to a ton of key off-season acquisitions, including forwards Jacob Silfverberg, Oskar Lindblom and Jordan Schroeder, goaltender Erik Källgren, and defensemen Christian Djoos, Victor Söderström and Charles-Édouard D’Astous.
The last name on that list might be the least known internationally, but it also might be the team’s best player so far this season. D’Astous missed three games with an injury but since then has five goals and six assists in 14 games – the five defensemen in the league ahead of him in points have all played 16 to 18 games.
“It feels good to contribute offensively,” D’Astous told Swedish website HockeyNews.se. “I didn’t play bad at the beginning of the season, but the points didn’t come. Now they’re starting to trickle in, and it’s fun to be able to help the team win. It gives me confidence going forward.”
This hasn’t exactly come out of nowhere, as D’Astous has been an offensive defenseman his whole career. In his last two years as a junior, he scored more than a point per game for the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic, serving as team captain his last year. Undrafted, he split three seasons between the AHL and ECHL – two of which were shortened by the pandemic – before heading to Europe in 2022.
Last season, his second with KooKoo in the Finnish Liiga, his game really came together – he had 46 points and 42 penalty minutes in 56 games. Despite his team missing the playoffs, D’Astous was voted the league’s top defenseman.
“We have searched for a d-man with Charles’ profile and it’s incredibly exciting,” Brynäs sports director Johan Alcén said at the time of D’Astous’ signing. “He has been responsible for two good seasons in the Finnish league and we believe he will be able to become an important part of our defense in the coming season. He is a big defender with a hard shot who also does not back down from the physical side.”
According to HockeyNews.se, D’Astous was already on the St. Louis Blues’ radar in Finland, and now several NHL teams are noticing his play in Sweden.
“I haven’t spoken to my agent lately, but I guess he’ll get in touch if he gets any calls,” said D’Astous, who admitted that he’s aware of the interest.
A major key to D’Astous’ offensive prowess is his lethal one-timer from the point. On Thursday, he scored two goals that way in a 5-2 win over Linköping HC. Clips of D’Aoust’s goals can be seen below starting at 1:50 and 2:20.
“When I was younger, it was almost the only thing I did,” D’Astous said about practising his shot. “I’ve always had a good shot. My dad built an outdoor rink in our backyard, and I spent a lot of time standing and shooting pucks. It’s become a habit that I still stick to.”
Many North Americans are able to carve out long and successful careers in Europe and perhaps D’Astous will as well. But still just 26 years of age, he hasn’t given up on his dream yet. He signed a two-year deal with Brynäs but many European player contracts include escape clauses to pursue opportunities abroad and it seems clear that D’Astous would be interested in doing so.
“My goal has always been to sign an NHL contract,” said D’Astous. “I know I've been playing well since I got here but it’s about continuing to work hard every day. I’ve only played 14 games so far, and it’s a long season. But if I keep going like this, I know the opportunity will come.”