Vancouver Canucks leading AHL scorer leaves organization for team in Europe
After restricted free agent Nils Aman went unqualified by the Vancouver Canucks before July 1, he was eligible to sign with any NHL team as a UFA.
It looks like he didn’t find a deal to his liking. Now, the 26-year-old centre is heading to Sweden.
SHL club Djurgården Hockey announced on Wednesday that they had signed Aman to a three-year contract.
“Joining such a major club feels like exactly the right step for my development and career, a place where I can contribute while continuing to grow as a player,” Aman said via Djurgården’s website in an article translated from Swedish.
“I’m really eager for the season to kick off and to play in front of all the amazing Djurgården supporters.”
Last season, Djurgården finished ninth out of 14 teams in the SHL. They made the SHL’s version of the NBA’s play-in tournament, where they were bounced by the Malmö Redhawks.
Djurgården needed a centre after Viggo Bjorck (picture) got drafted and signed by the Winnipeg Jets. (Bildbyran/Joel Marklund)
Djurgården was looking for another centre in their organization after two young centre prospects made the jump to North America. Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell signed with Chicago following Djurgården’s elimination. Viggo Bjorck, who was drafted eighth overall by the Winnipeg Jets at this year’s draft, also signed his entry-level contract.
Aman had spent four years in the Canucks organization before entering free agency this summer, playing 132 NHL games overall across four seasons. In those games, he posted eight goals and 21 points.
The writing was on the wall for Aman’s departure from the Canucks this offseason. His NHL opportunity slowly dwindled in each of his four years with the organization. Aman played 68 games for the Canucks in 2022-23, followed by 43 games in 2023-24. The 6-foot-2 centre played just 21 NHL games for Vancouver over the last two seasons, and only dressed for two NHL games last year.
Aman did lead the Abbotsford Canucks in scoring last season with 41 points in 55 games. However, he only had six goals. He was also surpassed on the depth chart by Ty Mueller as a depth recall option.
The Avesta, Sweden native was actually one of the longest-tenured members of the Canucks organization prior to his departure. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains, and Guillaume Brisebois were the only players who have been with the Canucks longer than Aman, who originally signed with the team on June 7, 2022.