Tonight, Swedish time, the deadline in the first phase of the transition period to the NHL expired.

Färjestads goalkeeper Arvid Holm and Luleåbacken Victor Berglund signed a contract with Winnipeg and Boston respectively, but both will be lent to their SHL clubs this coming season.

A total of 13 Swedish players have signed NHL contracts - about half of what has been normal in recent years and a clear effect of the corona crisis.

- There is tremendous frugality from the NHL clubs. We had 26 or 27 players last year and we have been between 25 and 30 every year, says Peter Forsberg, not to be confused with the former big star, vice chairman and responsible for the NHL contacts at the Swedish ice hockey association.

The 13 written NHL agreements mean that Swedish ice hockey will receive just over SEK 33 million - compared to a total of 93 million last year.

Draft advanced

There is still a transition window left. A normal and pandemic-free year would have been the NHL draft on June 26 and the Swedish players who had been selected in the first round could have signed a contract between July 15 and August 15 and then leave for NHL games.

Now the draft has been shot in the future and no date has been spiked, but it is speculated that it will be in September.

18-year-old super talents Alexander Holtz, Djurgården, and Lucas Raymond, Frölunda, are expected to be chosen high, and Holtz told Expressen last week that he could consider moving over already for the coming season.

"Please wait"

But according to Peter Forsberg, that chance is gone as the draft cannot be held as planned. This is regulated in the NHL agreement which was extended at the end of April. They can sign contracts with the clubs that choose them, but not relocate, especially as the Swedish season is expected to be in progress then.

- The great thing about the NHL is that all the agreements that are made are always followed. In this situation, we have extended the old agreement and in this is the draft on June 26. They understand what they have signed. That is what is the security of Swedish ice hockey in that we have this agreement. Had we not had an agreement it would have been the Wild West, he says.

TT: You are sure, there are no spaces for other interpretations?

- I am not sure about anything in these times, but as I see there is no other scope for interpretation. We've talked about that if it's not a draft on June 26, you can't come back in September and take players. The NHL has understood that, says Forsberg.

TT: So Holtz and Raymond stay?

- They have to wait.