Defenseman Lukas Bengtsson has signed a three-year deal with Linköping HC, the team announced on Friday.
It was reported in March that Bengtsson had reached a verbal agreement with Linköping. When asked for comment at the time, Bengtsson said “My focus is on this season and to play as good as I can.”
After Wilkes-Barre was swept in the first round of the playoffs, Bengtsson said on the team's breakup day that he was still undecided on his future, telling reporters that he’ll “see what happens” over the summer.
Bengtsson only played in 37 games this season due to two upper-body injuries — an improvement over last season’s total of 16 games due to a POTS diagnosis.
"I am very excited after two tough years in the United States and am very excited to take the next step in Linköping," Bengtsson said in a team release after the signing became official.
Vi säger varmt välkommen till Linköping Hockey Club till Lukas Bengtsson! Läs mer här; https://t.co/WNKZLjC7x0 pic.twitter.com/4WfcfuHarK
— Linköping HC (@LHChockey) May 18, 2018
Linköping's general manager Fredrik Emwall commented on the signing in the release, saying "Lukas is a very exciting player. He has great qualities in both the defensive and the offensive game."
Bengtsson was set to become a restricted free agent this summer. If the Penguins choose, they can still make a qualifying offer and retain his NHL rights until he is eligible to become an unrestricted NHL free agent at age 27. However, Bengtsson is 24 now, so if he stays in Sweden for the full length of his contract, he will already be 27 when it expires.
