Carl Johan Söderberg, born on 12 October 1985, is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. Söderberg played as a youth with hometown club, the Malmö Redhawks.
Here's a detailed look at his career, spanning from his early days in Sweden to his time in the NHL.
Early Career in Sweden
While showing an offensive prowess in the Under-18 Allsvenskan he first played in the J20 SuperElit level with the Redhawks in the 2001-02 season, appearing in nine games. In the 2003-04 season, Söderberg was dominant in the J20, helping Malmö to a silver medal finish by leading the league with 48 points in 27 games.
During the season, he was elevated to make his professional debut in the Elitserien with the Malmö Redhawks, contributing with two points in 24 games. Söderberg continued to play between the J20 and Elitserien in the 2004-05 season. While playing in limited minutes, Söderberg added 5 assists in 38 games in the SEL. During the year he accepted a loan spell to the HockeyAllsvenskan with Mörrums GoIS IK, contributing with 11 points in 14 games.
Upon helping Malmö return to the top division on the first time of asking, Söderberg was signed to a lucrative three-year entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues on 1 June 2006.
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Challenges and Adaptation
Söderberg moved to North America over the summer, and appeared in his first training camp with the Blues. With the intent to continue his recovery in Sweden with Malmö, Söderberg was loaned by the Bruins for the remainder of his entry-level contract. Learning to adapt to being left with 20-80 vision in his left eye, Söderberg compensated with greater use of other senses to seamlessly continue his scoring acumen in the HockeyAllsvenskan.
After 10 seasons within the Redhawks organization, with the club unable to earn promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan, Söderberg in order to advance his career agreed to a one-year deal with Linköpings HC of the Elitserien on 1 April 2011.
Success in Elitserien
In the 2011-12 season, Söderberg made an instant impact with Linköpings with eight points in six games and was promptly given an improved three-year contract extension on 28 September 2011. He completed the season with 35 points in 42 games, placing second among forwards, unable to help the club propel into the post-season.
Söderberg improved on his successful first season with Linköpings, leading the club in scoring with 60 points, and the league with 31 goals in 54 games. Upon Linköpings exit in the post-season, with the ambition to embark on an NHL career, Söderberg settled a protracted dispute with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
NHL Career
He was released by Linköpings HC and was signed by the Boston Bruins to a three-year, one-way contract on 13 April 2013. After he was granted a visa, Söderberg joined the Bruins for the homestretch of the 2012-13 season.
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On 25 June 2019, with a year remaining on his contract, Söderberg was traded by the Avalanche to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Kevin Connauton and a 2020 third-round draft pick. In the 2019-20 season, Söderberg played in a top-nine forward role season with the Coyotes, notching 35 points in 70 regular season games. His 17 goals shared third among Coyotes' skaters.
At the trade deadline on 12 April 2021, Söderberg was traded by the Blackhawks back to the contending Colorado Avalanche in exchange for prospects Josh Dickinson and Ryder Rolston. Appearing in a bottom six role with the Avalanche, Söderberg collected 2 assists through the final 11 regular season games. Beginning the playoffs as a healthy scratch, Söderberg drew into the lineup in the third game of the opening round series against the St. Louis Blues registering an assist.
Here is a summary of Söderberg's NHL statistics:
| Team | Seasons | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 2012-2015 | 161 | 27 | 66 | 93 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 2015-2019, 2021 | 277 | 52 | 84 | 136 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 2019-2020 | 70 | 17 | 18 | 35 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2020-2021 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Carl Soderberg tallies first career hat trick to power Avalanche past Maple Leafs
International Career
Söderberg was first selected for the Swedish team at the International stage for the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships in Russia. He contributed with 2 goals in 6 games before reaching the quarterfinals and suffering an 8-1 defeat against Canada, to finish in fifth place.
When the 2005 World Junior Championships came to the United States, Soderberg was again selected to the Swedish squad. Sweden went out to the host nation in the quarterfinals with an 8-2 drubbing. On 6 September 2008, Söderberg made his senior national team debut featuring in a friendly match against Finland.
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On 9 April 2013, Söderberg reached a multi-year agreement with the Boston Bruins and secured his release from his Swedish team, Linköpings HC. On 11 April 2013, however, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIHF) blocked the release of Söderberg to the NHL in an attempt to secure his position on the Swedish national team for the upcoming 2013 IIHF World Championships being co-hosted by the country.
Retirement
After two seasons in Malmö, Soderberg announced his retirement on 1 August 2023.