Thomson was Ottawa's first-rounder in the 2019 NHL Draft and played just 18 career games with the club.

Lassi Thomson's time as an Ottawa Senator prospect is officially over. The team's 2019 first-round pick (19th overall) was about to become a restricted free agent this summer, but he's now left the NHL to sign with the Malmo Redhawks in the Swedish League. The Swedish club made the announcement today on social media.

It was pretty clear that the Finnish defenceman was finished as a prospect here. The writing had been on the wall all season. 

Back in training camp, the Senators placed Thomson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Egor Sokolov on waivers so they could all be assigned to Belleville.

The entire league opted not to claim Bernard-Docker and Sokolov. But Thomson was scooped up by Anaheim. The Ducks briefly kicked the tires on him but decided he'd be better off with their AHL club in San Diego. To do that, they'd need to put him back on waivers, and that gave the Senators the right to reclaim their former asset and send him to the minors.

So Thomson probably began the year in Belleville in an NHL state of mind, thinking that maybe the bottom pairing right defence spot might open up in Ottawa. Indeed, it did, but Bernard-Docker was the one who claimed it early and ran with it.

As for the odd call-up, Thomson didn't even get a sniff this year.

In the last two seasons, Thomson got to spend a little time with the big club. But this year, when Ottawa needed defencemen, they called up three of Thomson's Belleville teammates instead: Tyler Kleven, Nikolas Matinpalo, and Max Guenette.

"I am very happy to have signed for Malmö," Thomson told the club's website. "This will be a fresh start for me in a new organization I have heard many good things about. I really look forward to meeting everyone."

And so, another book closes on a player that former management thought might one day be a vital part of the completed rebuild.