A veteran forward is off to a new opportunity. After not seeing any NHL action last season, Phil Di Giuseppe has decided to head overseas as IF Bjorkloven of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the winger to a one-year deal.
The 31-year-old signed a one-year, two-way deal with Winnipeg last summer with the expectation that he’d either compete for a back-of-the-roster spot in training camp or be among their first recalls when injuries hit. That didn’t happen. Waived early in camp, he passed through and went unclaimed. After being assigned to AHL Manitoba, he wasn’t called up once and ultimately picked up 15 goals and 20 assists in 72 games with the Moose.
That Di Giuseppe didn’t get an NHL opportunity was a little surprising. He had six points in 20 games with Vancouver in 2024-25 and saw action in a career-high 51 NHL contests the year before. Overall, Di Giuseppe has 302 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of nine seasons, picking up 81 points and 661 hits along the way.
Rather than try to catch on in an AHL veteran slot with the hopes of an in-season recall once more, Di Giuseppe is joining a team that just earned a promotion to Sweden’s top level for the first time in 25 years. He should have an opportunity to play a big role for them as they look to play well enough to remain in the SHL and not be a one-and-done team that gets relegated.