Top prospect Viggo Björck plans future with Jets

The stage appears to be set for Viggo Björck to make an immediate impact with the Winnipeg Jets.

A significant development occurred this weekend when Djurgården — the Swedish team Björck was under contract for the coming season — announced the 18-year-old was departing the organization under very positive terms.

“Viggo Björck has chosen to leave Djurgården to continue his career in the Winnipeg Jets organization next season,” the news release stated.

The announcement prompted vastly different reactions depending on your perspective.

Plenty of Djurgården fans took to social media lamenting the loss of the dynamic 18-year-old. It’s hard to blame them —Björck quickly became a must-see attraction, due to his combination of skill and speed and a dog-on-a-bone mentality that makes him difficult to play against despite a 5-foot-9 frame.

Björck joined Djurgården’s junior program from in the fall of 2024 and helped the organization win both the J18 and J20 Swedish Championship titles. He cemented himself as a fixture on the senior team this past season, with 15 points (6G, 9A) in 42 regular season games.

Once their season was over, he returned to the junior team and helped them win a second consecutive championship with a whopping 20 points (8G, 12A) in just nine playoff games.

Bottom line: He will not be easy to replace.

Meanwhile, Jets’ supporters couldn’t hide their glee over the fact it appears the team’s new top prospect apparently isn’t going to be slow-played.

Local puck watchers got their first look at Björck just over a week ago during the team’s annual summer development camp. The eighth-overall pick in the 2026 draft did not disappoint. Whether it was threading silky smooth passes through traffic, ripping wicked wristers or signing dozens of autographs, he was a hit on and off the ice.

“Just an overall great experience,” Björck told reporters.

He said the immediate plan was to head back home, catch his breath and figure out his immediate future. Based on what has now transpired, that didn’t take very long.

The Jets are going to give Björck every opportunity to jump right into the NHL this fall — and perhaps finally offer a solution to the long-running problem of finding a capable second-line centre behind Mark Scheifele.

“Well, you never know what happens,” said Björck, who smartly isn’t getting ahead of himself. “The idea could be playing centre, but who knows if you make it somehow to the wing, or play in the middle as I want. You’ve got to be able to adapt to the things that happen, but that’s what I want to do. So, that would be amazing.”

Björck is also eligible to play in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose, but expect him to be given an extremely long leash to prove that isn’t necessary.

The next step now is for Björck to officially sign his entry-level contract with the Jets. That’s a mere formality at this point, since the structure and salary is pretty much set in stone.

DEADLINE SET

The clock is ticking for the Winnipeg Jets and restricted free agent Cole Perfetti to reach an agreement on a contract extension. An arbitration hearing is set for July 20 if the two sides can’t strike a deal by then.

History suggests there’s nothing to panic about. Winnipeg has gone down this road before and ultimately found middle ground with players without the need for third-party intervention — including RFAs Morgan Barron, Gabe Vilardi and Dylan Samberg just last summer.

Still, this will up the urgency. Perfetti, 24, is coming off a tough season in which he suffered a high ankle sprain during training camp and struggled to get back to full health. The 10th-overall pick and author of the “Manitoba Miracle” goal had 32 points (12G, 20A) in 68 regular season games. He’s coming off a two year deal in which he made US $3.25 million per season.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre