Erik Källgren

June 2023 – It could be the end of the road with the Maple Leafs for Källgren. The 26-year-old had a rough year in both the NHL and AHL, and as a pending unrestricted free-agent in an organization that has a plethora of young goalies, it could be time to move on. Källgren finished his AHL season with a below average .883 save percentage and a 3.26 GAA in 24 games played. He could still provide a value as a low-end third starter for some team around the league but with a .892 save percentage through 24 NHL games, the results just have not been there. Time will tell on what Toronto plans to do with Källgren but heading into free agency, do not be surprised if he dons a different jersey in 2023-24. Curtis Rines

December 2022 – It has been an interesting season for Erik Källgren so far. After early season injuries to both Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray, Källgren started ten games for the Maple Leafs between October and the end of November. In those ten NHL starts, he went 3-2-4 with a .898 save percentage. It is no secret that Toronto was a mess to start the season, but Källgren struggled to show true consistency in arguably his biggest opportunity at the NHL level to date.

His return to the minors hasn’t been much better, with a .892 save percentage through five starts with the Marlies. In a three-way battle for starts at the AHL level between himself, Joseph Woll, and Keith Petruzzelli, Källgren could not have asked for a worse time to falter. It is hard to project his ceiling as much more than an NHL backup, but he is still only 26 years old with 24 games of NHL experience already under his belt. Curtis Rines

April 2022 – Källgren returned to North America after an SHL championship run in hopes of an opportunity at the NHL level. Through injury and inconsistent play from the Leafs’ netminders, that opportunity came perhaps earlier than expected and Källgren has made good on it to this point.

His first NHL appearance came in relief and he played well enough to earn the start the next time out, notching a 35-save shutout in the first start of his career. He would go on to start the next few games and though his play has been up and down since then, he provided the team with some stability in goal when they desperately needed it. Now, with Petr Mrázek on the shelf again in what has been a nightmare season for him, Källgren appears set to form a goaltending tandem with Jack Campbell as the Leafs head into a pivotal postseason for the organization. Nick Richard

May 2021 – The Maple Leafs have signed Källgren to a two-year ELC on the heels of a clutch SHL playoff run where he put up a .930 sv% en route to the championship. He has more than one strong month on his resume – he managed a .911 sv% through 21 starts in the regular season, and he posted the same number through 18 games on loan in Liiga the year prior. With no obvious frontrunner for the AHL Marlies’ crease in 2021-22, Källgren brings a solid track record to the competition. Hayden Soboleski

November 2019- The Coyotes have placed Kallgren on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He cleared waivers and will head back to play in Sweden. Tucson General Manager and Coyotes assistant GM Steve Sullivan said Kallgren wasn’t happy with his situation as a seldom-used back-up, so Arizona granted his request. Kallgren played pretty well when given the opportunity but was buried on a deep goaltender depth chart. It’s unknown at this time if he’ll return to North America again. Keith Duggan

October 2019- With the 2015 NHL Draft winding down, Coyote European scouts raved about a young Swedish netminder and pushed then General Manager Don Maloney to select Erik Kallgren. Maloney took their word and drafted Kallgren in the seventh-round, 183rd overall. In his draft year, Kallgren posted some strong numbers with Linkoping HC J20 of the Swedish SuperElit. In 34 games, he had an 1.75 GAA and a impressive save percentage of .936 – both of which were league-highs that season. Since being drafted, the Coyotes let Kallgren develop in Sweden, spending most of his time in the Allsvenskan. Letting four years pass, it looked as though the Coyotes were going to let Kallgren’s rights expire, moving on with the goaltender depth that new General Manager John Chayka had acquired. Instead, Kallgren took an opening for the starter gig with AIK roster this past year and thrived in the role. He posted a .920 save percentage in 32 games, playing a key role in his team’s run to the playoff’s at just 22 years old. The Coyotes team brass was impressed and brought over the former seventh-round pick to North America and signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract. A blocking-style goalie with a big, sturdy frame, Kallgren’s biggest adjustment will be playing on the smaller North American ice. Was expected to be Adin Hill’s backup this year in Tucson but looks as of right now to be beaten out for that roster spot by Ivan Prosvetov and will begin this campaign in the ECHL. Keith Duggan