While I certainly wasn’t as fervent an Oskar Steen advocate as I was for my man Peter Cehlarik, I was one of those people sitting here in September 2023 thinking the upcoming season would be a big one for Steen — in spite of a glut of bottom-six forwards.
In the end, however, he wasn’t able to make much of an impact, and as a result, his NHL career is over (for now, at least).
As a bottom-six player, Steen was expected to bring energy and some physicality, which he did well enough.
Steen’s offensive struggles weren’t all that surprising given his limited usage and the typical fourth-line deployment from the Bruins (an awful lot of defensive-zone work), but it was statistically speaking, the worst in the NHL.
One of 580 NHL players to play at least 30 games this season, Steen’s single point ranked dead last among that group of 580. Steen is also one of just two forwards (and just four players in total) in the NHL this season to play at least 300 five-on-five minutes and not record multiple points.
You can stomach a lack of high-end production from a fourth-line grinder, but to be dead last in the entire NHL isn’t usually going to work out.
Steen last appeared in a game with the Bruins back in Feb. 19, a loss to Seattle. He skated under eight minutes and was waived shortly thereafter.
The Swede had a decent enough stint in the AHL, recording 12 goals and four assists in 24 games, but wasn’t exactly lighting it up.
Ultimately, his time in North America ends with him being a guy who was decent enough for the AHL but probably not quite good enough for regular NHL duty.
Now, he’s heading back home to play with Färjestad BK, the club where he spent most of his pre-North American career.
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