Not everyone picked up Marco Sturm's new system as quickly as others. Victor Soderstrom was an intriguing gamble for the Boston Bruins' front office, but training camp made it seem like he was one of the few gambles that didn't work this offseason. The right-shot defender went to Providence to add some value to the team, and he played well in 18 games.
The issue for the offensive-minded Soderstrom was that his defensive awareness, or lack thereof, didn't lend itself to success in Sturm's system. If he were going to make it right on his second journey to North America, the defender was going to have to change his game to fit the Bruins. Failure to adapt was the reason things didn't work out for Soderstrom in his first opportunity with the Arizona Coyotes.
Soderstrom's point pace didn't change from his first stint in the AHL. He is still playing at around a 0.5 points-per-game pace, but his emphasis on defense in Providence made it seem like he was finally starting to figure it out. Worst case, he would be a solid piece on a team with Calder Cup dreams.
Victor Soderstrom learned the Bruins' system and is thriving
Soderstrom's training camp still had him so far down the depth chart that he likely didn't think he'd see Boston again this season. However, after a series of injuries to Jordan Harris, Charlie McAvoy, Henri Jokiharju, and Michael Callahan, Soderstrom was the next right-handed shot up to try to fill the gap.
When Sturm placed him on the third defense pair with Mason Lohrei, fans shuddered at the thought of seeing them together in the defensive zone, but what fans didn't know was that the Swedish defender had adapted to the system.
Sturm isn't playing Soderstrom outside of his capabilities. He has around 14 minutes of time on ice per night, and starts most of his shifts in the offensive zone. The belief is that Soderstrom and Lohrei are good enough offensively that they can pin teams in the defensive zone to avoid showing their deficiencies, and so far it is working.
The Bruins are playing with fire, having the pair together. When McAvoy returns, I wouldn't argue with still giving Soderstrom some games. Jonathan Aspirot hasn't been playing as well recently, and it could be from playing on the right side. Is there a chance he will be the healthy scratch when McAvoy returns to keep everyone on their strong side? With the way Soderstrom is playing, it's quite possible.