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Penguins third-round pick Melvin Fernstrom finds a new home in Europe after disappointing start to the season
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Tonight, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Melvin Fernstrom has been forced to find a new home after a disappointing start to the 2025-26 campaign.
The development path for an NHL prospect is not always linear as some prospects take a longer path than others to reach their potential.
For Penguins prospect Melvin Fernstrom his path to the NHL has taken an unexpected turn in his second season as part of the organization.
To begin the year, Fernstrom was assigned by the Penguins to Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League which is the top division of Swedish hockey.
However, after 34 games and just 4 points for Orebro, Fernstrom has now been moved to a new club according to multiple reports.
Penguins prospect Melvin Fernstrom forced to switch teams mid-season
According to reports, Fernstrom will be taking his talents to Sweden's second division Allsvenskan where he will now play with AIK.
Fernstrom is still only 19 years old and has plenty of development ahead of him but to reach his potential he needs significant game time.
Originally a Canucks prospect, Fernstrom was acquired by the Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas in the trade that sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor to Vancouver.
Now, with the move to AIK Fernstrom should become a key player for the club and be relied on much more heavily.
Even though he will be playing lower level competition the extra ice-time and hopefully increased confidence should make up for the lower quality league.
With the change of scenery it will be interesting to see if Fernstrom can get his career back on track or if he will continue to struggle.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 16|74 ANSWERS Penguins third-round pick Melvin Fernstrom finds a new home in Europe after disappointing start to the season Do you think Melvin Fernstrom will play an NHL game one day for the Pittsburgh Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 20 | 27 % |
| No | 54 | 73 % |
| List of polls | ||