Young Arizona Coyotes top-15 pick abandons Utah and the NHL to return to his home country

A former first round pick and top prospect for the Arizona Coyotes has left the Utah Hockey Club and has returned back home to Sweden.

2019 first round pick Victor Söderström has signed a two-year deal with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League, the team announced.

Utah HC reporter Craig Morgan reported that Söderström, 23, was at an "impasse" with the club in terms of contract talks for the RFA. Utah had been previously reported to be looking at an extension or a trade for Söderström.

Reports from the past few days linked Söderström to a move in Europe, with Morgan mentioning Swedish & Swiss teams involved, although Brynäs appeared to be the favorite for Söderström's services.

For chemistry, Brynäs captain Johan Larsson is a former NHL teammate of Söderström, having spent two seasons together in Arizona.

Now in Sweden, Söderström returns to Brynas, where he played parts of his youth and in his draft year. Arizona selected Söderström 11th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the third ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting.

Söderström appeared in just 53 NHL games with the Coyotes in four seasons, having a goal and 11 points in total. Söderström had gotten a career high 30 games with Arizona in 2022-23, having 9 points in that span.

Söderström played in just three games for the Coyotes in 23-24, playing the majority of his season in the American Hockey League with the Tuscon Roadrunners, having 9 goals and 32 points in 62 AHL games.

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