The Bruins have added a little insurance between the pipes, recalling Swedish goaltender Niklas Svedberg from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Providence.
Svedberg compiled a 37-8-2 record in his first season with the P-Bruins, ranking fifth in the AHL in goals against average (2.17) and third in save percentage (.925). The 23-year-old started in net for the Eastern Conference in the AHL All-Star Game and was the No. 1 goalie throughout Providence’s playoff run, which ended with a 5-0 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday.
Prior to signing with the Bruins last May, Svedberg spent four seasons in the Swedish Elite League, backstopping his team to the league championship in 2011-12.
Though he impressed in his first year in the minors — winning the Baz Bastien Award as the AHL’s most outstanding goalie — it is highly unlikely Svedberg will see any time during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He will act as an emergency third goalie, a role current backup Anton Khudobin filled during the Cup run of 2011.
