After five seasons in the Vancouver Canucks organization, three of them in North America, restricted free-agent forward Ludwig Blomstrand will return to his native Sweden. He will join Almtuna IS of the Allsvenskan on a two-year contract.
The Canucks drafted Blomstrand in the fourth round, 120th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, as he displayed a promising blend of size and skill. However, he was unable to translate his game to the North American pro ranks, and spent most of his North American time with the Kalamazoo Wings in the third-tier ECHL.
Following the draft, Blomstrand stayed with Djugardens IF, the club he was drafted from, for another two seasons, playing one year in the top-tier SHL and one in the second-tier Allsvenskan after being relegated in the 2011-12 season.