Flyers Sign Berglund to ELC, Swedish Forward Joins Phantoms on Tryout

Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere signed 19-year-old forward Jack Berglund to a three-year entry-level contract Thursday, with the Swedish center reporting immediately to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an amateur tryout for the final stretch of the 2025-26 AHL season.

The timing couldn't be sharper. Berglund arrives at PPL Center in Allentown with the Phantoms (28-33-6) trailing Springfield by four points for the final playoff spot in the AHL's Atlantic Division, roughly five regular-season games remaining. His 6-foot-4, 209-pound frame and defensive-first game give Lehigh Valley a physical presence at center as the team fights for what would be a fourth consecutive Calder Cup Playoffs appearance.

Berglund's path to this moment accelerated rapidly in recent months. At the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, the Karlstad, Sweden native helped lead Team Sweden to a gold medal, recording two assists in a 4-2 championship victory over the Czech Republic. That performance drew public praise from Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet, a notable endorsement given that Tocchet offered it in the middle of Philadelphia's own season. Briere has repeatedly cited Berglund when discussing the organization's future at center.

The ELC, which begins with the 2026-27 season, makes Berglund the fourth player from Philadelphia's 2024 draft class to sign at the professional level. He joined a wave of six Flyers prospects to ink deals in the past month alone, alongside Porter Martone, Noah Powell, Cole Knuble, Alex Ciernik, and Riley Thompson.

Drafted 51st overall in 2024, Berglund completed his first full Swedish Hockey League season with Färjestad BK, posting 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points in 40 regular-season games, then adding 3 assists in 7 playoff games. He came up through the Färjestad organization from the U16 level, in a city and a hockey family built for the game: his father is former professional Christian Berglund, and his uncles Carl and Daniel Berglund also played at the professional level. At the international youth level, Berglund put up 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 19 games with Sweden's U20 program, and his draft year showed genuine offensive upside: 15 goals and 34 points in 41 J20 Nationell games for Färjestad BK J20.

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranks Berglund ninth in Philadelphia's prospect pool, noting "a lot to like about Berglund's defensive game" while flagging below-average skating as the primary ceiling concern. Prospect evaluator Flahr drew a comparison to Mikko Koivu, the longtime Minnesota Wild captain: "Mikko was not the flashiest skater, but he was just a heavy, heavy [player]." A Daily Faceoff analyst called Berglund a natural fit for a bottom-six center role, citing his defensive responsibility and physicality.

The Flyers, sitting at 40-26-12 with 92 points and third in the Atlantic Division, are on pace for their first playoff appearance since 2020 and the first in a non-COVID-affected season since 2018. Berglund is expected to compete for an NHL roster spot out of training camp next fall. Before any of that, he has five games in Allentown to prove he belongs at the professional level.