Though it may seem like a step back for Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen, going back home to Sweden is nothing to be disappointed about. In fact, it may be a lot better for Dahlen’s development to play in the Swedish Hockey League (formerly known as the Swedish Elite League) rather than in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets.
Dahlen, the 5-foot-11 native of Ostersund, Sweden, played last season with the Timra IK side of the Allsvenskan, the minor league for the SHL. The Ottawa Senators had drafted him 42nd overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft but traded his rights to Vancouver in exchange for Alex Burrows.