Bruins acquire defenseman Victor Soderstrom in trade with Blackhawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have made their first trade of the NHL offseason.

They have acquired the rights to 24-year-old defenseman Victor Söderström from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman prospect Ryan Mast and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, the B’s announced Friday evening.

Söderström is a right-shot defenseman who was the No. 11 overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2019 draft. He played four seasons between the NHL and AHL from 2020-21 through 2023-24.

Söderström went back to his native Sweden to play for Brynas IF Gavle in the 2024-25 campaign. He tallied 37 points (nine goals, 28 assists) in 49 games and won the Borje Salming Trophy as the best defenseman in the SHL.

His rights were traded from the Utah Mammoth (formerly the Coyotes) to the Blackhawks before the trade deadline in March.

The Bruins still need to sign Söderström to a contract for him to play with the Original Six franchise next season. He’s technically a restricted free agent, per PuckPedia.

The Bruins could use a defenseman with Söderström’s offensive skill set. They also need depth on the right side of their blue line after trading Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs in March. Right-shot defenseman Henri Jokiharju is an unrestricted free agent, too.

Mast was a sixth-round pick of the Bruins in 2021. He played for the AHL’s Providence Bruins this past season.