from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,

NHL general managers look at college and European free agents signings as a free pull on the slot machine. The likely result is no payoff, but sometimes there is a payoff. And every once in a while you hit a jackpot. The reported Red Wings’ agreement with Swedish player Pontus Andreasson has to be viewed in those terms.

The Red Wings have not confirmed the Sportbladet report, probably because Andreasson is in the playoffs with his Lulea team. But Red Wings scout Hakan Anderson seems to have verified the agreement with Andreasson in an interview he did with Andreas Slatt in Sweden.

On Friday, Andreasson scored a series-clinching overtime double-overtime goal in a 3-2 win against Orebro. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound posted seven goals and two assists in the five-game series. He had a hat trick earlier in the series. Andreasson had 18 goals and 20 assists in 52 regular-season games.

He’s a 23-year-old rookie in the Swedish Hockey League. By comparison, Red Wings prospect Elmer Soderblom is three years younger than Andreasson and is playing his second year in the SHL. Jonatan Berggren is two years younger than Andreasson and he played parts of three years in the SHL and now one season in the AHL.

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