- Djurgarden released Viggo Bjorck to join the Jets organization for 2026-27
- Winnipeg’s No. 1 prospect will play in the NHL or with AHL Manitoba this season
- Read below for the details on Bjorck’s slide-eligible entry-level contract
The Winnipeg Jets are getting their top prospect a year ahead of schedule.
Djurgarden announced Saturday that it granted Viggo Björck a release to join the Jets organization for 2026-27. Winnipeg took the Swedish center eighth overall last month and figured it wouldn’t see him until the spring of 2027 at the earliest.
Björck was entering the final year of his contract with Djurgardens IF of the SHL. He hasn’t signed his entry-level deal yet, so he can’t play NHL games for Winnipeg right now, but there’s plenty of runway before training camp.
As a first-round pick, the Jets could have assigned him to AHL Manitoba after camp regardless, per the league’s transfer agreement with Sweden. Today’s news just confirms he’ll be on this side of the Atlantic when the season opens, whether that’s in Winnipeg or with the Moose.
He became the Jets’ top prospect by a wide margin the moment his name got called. Björck is undersized at 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, but he spent his draft year holding his own against grown men in Sweden’s top league.
In 42 SHL games last season, the Stockholm native put up six goals and 15 points and led the league in scoring among under-18 players.
Take a look at what Björck brings:
He saved his best for the big stage. Björck posted nine points in seven games and a gold medal for Sweden at the World Juniors, then added six points in eight games for the senior team at the World Championship in May.
Winnipeg kicked off a reset when it dealt Connor Hellebuyck this summer, and Björck is the kind of piece a rebuild leans on.
Expecting him to jump in as an NHL rookie right away would be a stretch given his frame. A high-leverage role in Manitoba to open the year is the more likely path, with a call-up on the table if he forces the issue.
One more wrinkle: he’s slide-eligible. If Björck plays fewer than 10 NHL games this season, the first year of his entry-level contract slides to 2027-28.
That buys the Jets flexibility and gives Björck a full year to adjust to the North American game.
