Swedish center Zeb Forsfjäll, 20, played in 39 of Skellefteå AIK’s 52 SHL regular-season games but he will miss the playoffs, according to multiple Swedish media outlets.
While no one is able to elaborate on the reason, it appears to be medically-related, as the news was confirmed by team doctor Karin Granberg, attributed to a Folkbladet article, which is behind a paywall, after Forsfjäll was absent from practise on Monday.
“I can confirm that, unfortunately,” said Granberg. “I look forward to him playing next season.”
Forsfjäll has a year remaining on his contract with Skellefteå.
A hometown Skellefteå boy, Forsfjäll was chosen in the sixth round, 180th overall, by the Seattle Kraken in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The Kraken have not yet signed the 5-foot-9, 181-pound defensive pivot to an entry-level contract.
Forsfjäll represented Sweden at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship and at the last two World Junior Championships. He had five points in seven games for Sweden’s bronze-medal team this winter in Ottawa.
Although he saw limited ice time, Forsfjäll was a member of the Skellefteå team that won the SHL title last season. This season, he saw a slight increase in usage but was still generally a fourth-liner, scoring only once and adding seven assists and six penalty minutes.
Agent: Axel Sandin-Pellikka Will Go To North America After Swedish Playoffs
In late January, it was reported that Swedish defenseman <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/skellefte-will-lose-sandin-pellikka-eyes-ex-leaf-lightning-d-man-as-replacement">Axel
Sandin-Pellikka will play in North America starting next season</a>. Now,
multiple Swedish media outlets are reporting that <a href="https://hockeynews.se/nyheter/agenten-om-sandin-pellikkas-framtid">he could go as early as this spring</a>.
After finishing fifth in the regular season, Skellefteå faces Färjestad BK in a highly-anticipated quarterfinal series that starts on Friday with plenty of star power on each side.
Skellefteå’s roster includes a Detroit Red Wings prospects, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, as well as American Luke Wikowski and veteran center Pär Lindholm. Färjestad’s roster includes Oskar Steen, Marián Studenič and SHL scoring champion David Tomášek. Norwegian defenseman Stian Solberg, who played for Färjestad all season, was recently recalled by the Anaheim Ducks and assigned to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Stian Solberg Going To San Diego, Effective Immediately
Norwegian defenseman Stian Solberg, 19, has been
recalled by the <a href="http://thn.com/anaheim">Anaheim Ducks </a>from SHL club
Färjestad Karlstad and assigned to their
<a href="http://thn.com/ahl">AHL</a> farm team the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks and Färjestad
both announced on Sunday.