Former Vancouver Canuck and unrestricted free agent (UFA) Nils Åman has signed a three-year contract with Djurgårdens of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the team announced earlier today.
The 26-year-old center returns home after four seasons in North America, where he skated in 132 NHL games and another 123 in the AHL as part of the Canucks organization. Åman set a career high with 41 points (6 goals, 35 assists) in 55 regular-season games for the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks this past season. Åman was set to become an RFA; however, the Canucks announced back on June 29th that they would not be extending him, or any of their RFAs, a qualifying offer
Before crossing the Atlantic, Åman came up through Leksands IF, working his way from junior hockey to the SHL with the club. He also represented Sweden at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, where he tallied two assists in seven games played.
Djurgårdens sporting director Marcus Due-Boje called the signing a coup, noting that competition for Åman’s services was fierce. “It feels fantastic to be able to add Nils to Djurgården for the coming three seasons,” Due-Boje said, praising Åman as “a big center who is skilled all over the rink” and pointing to his loyalty and consistent play in North America.
For Åman, the move was about more than just a return home. “I feel that the club has something exciting going on, and it’s a journey I want to be part of,” he said. “For me it also feels like exactly the right step in my development and career to join such a big organization.”
The 2020 sixth-round draft pick will join his new teammates when Djurgården reconvenes for the start of training in late July, giving him time to get acclimated before the SHL season kicks off. His departure closes the book on his tenure in the Canucks system, where he broke into the NHL after signing as a free agent out of Leksand.