Jonatan Berggren wants to be more ‘selfish’ on offense 

DETROIT – Jonatan Berggren will look different in more ways than one this season.  

Berggren is set to wear a new jersey number, switching from No. 52 to 48, and the Swedish forward said he is an improved skater after prioritizing strength and speed throughout his offseason training.

But the change that might have the greatest impact on Berggren in the 2023-24 campaign is his mindset.

“Last year, I was trying to pass more than shoot,” Berggren said Monday. “This summer, I worked on my shot. I feel like this season, I want to be more of a threat. Maybe a little bit selfish in some areas and shoot more.”

Berggren started last season with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins before making his NHL debut on Nov. 10. The 5-foot-11, 197-pound forward became a regular in the Detroit Red Wings’ lineup, recording 15 goals and 13 assists in 67 games.

“He was a great addition for us at times last year,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said about Berggren on Sept. 21. “We didn’t have a lot of what he was. He was making plays. We went through some of those games where we were looking for some offense. He was one of the guys who could create some offense.”

Berggren said he learned a lot about himself during his debut season in Detroit and understands what he must improve on to continue his development.

“It felt like I had a great start,” Berggren said. “Then after a while, I felt a little dip in the middle of the season. But overall, I had an okay season. I created more chances than I scored. If I have a little bit more edge on it, I can be a real offensive player in this league.”

Since entering the NHL, Berggren, 23, has leaned on his more experienced teammates.  

“Larks (Dylan Larkin), DP (David Perron), Copper (Andrew Copp) and those guys have helped me a lot,” Berggren said. “You look at them at practice, how hard they work every day and how to take care of your body. They’ve been really good help for me.”

As the preseason continues, Lalonde said he and the Red Wings coaching staff are looking for Berggren to take more steps forward.

“Just continue to round out his entire game, be hard to play against, just wall play,” Lalonde said. “Typical habits we want from a lot of our guys.”

While Berggren established himself as a significant contributor with the Red Wings in 2022-23, the former 2018 second-round pick believes he has “something to prove” this season.

“Nothing is given to you in this league,” Berggren said. “That was my mindset in the summer, to make a push and have a great start to the season.”