Todd McLellan’s Hard Reaction to Jonatan Berggren’s Recent Slump: Arguably Berggren’s Worst Offensive Season Since His 2022 Debut with the Detroit Red Wings

In the high-stakes world of the NHL, where every shift can swing a season and every coach’s word carries the weight of expectation, few moments reveal the raw underbelly of professional hockey like a head coach’s unfiltered assessment of a struggling star. For Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren, the 2025 season has unfolded as a puzzle wrapped in frustration, one that has tested his resolve and drawn a pointed response from head coach Todd McLellan. As the calendar flips to October, with the Red Wings navigating a middling start to their campaign, Berggren’s offensive drought—marked by just 12 goals and 12 assists through 64 games—stands as a stark contrast to the promise he flashed upon his 2022 debut. This slump, arguably the most pronounced of his young career, has not gone unnoticed. McLellan’s recent comments, delivered with the blunt precision of a seasoned tactician, cut through the noise: a call to arms that blends tough love with a subtle intrigue about what lies beneath Berggren’s current form. What happens when a player once hailed as a creative force finds himself adrift, and how does a coach like McLellan, known for his no-nonsense approach, pull him back from the brink?

Berggren’s journey with the Red Wings began with fireworks. Drafted 33rd overall in 2018, the Swedish right winger burst onto the scene in the 2021-22 season, showcasing the kind of puck-handling wizardry that turns heads in junior leagues and AHL rinks alike. His debut metrics were modest but electric: nine points in 32 games, including a few highlight-reel goals that hinted at untapped potential. Scouts whispered about his vision, his ability to thread needles through crowded blue lines, and his deceptive shot that seemed to materialize from nowhere. It was the kind of entry that fueled fan optimism in a franchise starved for homegrown talent. Fast forward to the early days of the 2024-25 season under previous coach Derek Lalonde, and Berggren’s trajectory showed flickers of growth—intermittent bursts of production amid defensive lapses that kept him shuttling between Detroit and the Grand Rapids Griffins. Yet, as the 2025 slate commenced, something shifted. The spark dimmed. What was once a fluid offensive game devolved into tentative passes and missed opportunities, leaving observers to wonder: had the weight of NHL expectations finally caught up to the 25-year-old phenom?

The numbers tell a sobering tale. Through the first half of 2025, Berggren’s point total lagged behind even his rookie output, with a minus-13 rating underscoring defensive vulnerabilities that have plagued his development. Advanced analytics paint a picture of a player whose expected goals share has plummeted, dipping below 45 percent in key metrics—a far cry from the 52 percent he posted in his breakout moments. Shots on net? Down 15 percent from his career average. Power-play efficiency? A dismal 8.3 percent, despite occasional deployment on the second unit. These aren’t just stats; they’re symptoms of a deeper malaise, one exacerbated by line shuffles and the relentless pressure of a rebuilding Red Wings squad gunning for playoff relevance. Teammates like Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat have shouldered the scoring load, but the secondary production—where Berggren was supposed to shine—has sputtered. In a league where depth scoring separates contenders from pretenders, Berggren’s fade has left a void, prompting whispers in the locker room about whether his ceiling remains within reach or if it’s time to recalibrate expectations.

Enter Todd McLellan, the steady hand who took the Red Wings’ reins in late 2024 and steered them through a midseason surge that briefly reignited playoff hopes. McLellan’s coaching philosophy, forged in the fires of Stanley Cup chases with San Jose and Edmonton, emphasizes accountability wrapped in empowerment. He arrived in Detroit promising a culture shift: more structure without stifling creativity, more intensity without burnout. For Berggren, this meant opportunity laced with scrutiny. Early in the 2025 training camp, McLellan experimented with lines, pairing the young Swede with veterans like J.T. Compher to spark chemistry. But as games wore on and results faltered, the coach’s patience wore thin. The turning point came after a lackluster 2-1 preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in late September, where Berggren logged just 12 minutes and registered zero shots. In the postgame scrum, McLellan’s words landed like a body check. “I wasn’t really impressed with our team, to be quite honest,” he said, his voice steady but edged with frustration. “We looked slow and sloppy. I don’t know which caused what, but players like Bergie need to step up—their tools are there, but they’re buried under hesitation.”

Those remarks echoed through the hockey world, amplified by social media buzz and Detroit’s passionate fanbase. McLellan’s “hard reaction,” as insiders dubbed it, wasn’t a tirade but a scalpel, slicing away excuses to expose the core issue: Berggren’s overthinking. In a follow-up media availability on October 3, the coach elaborated, his tone a mix of mentor and enforcer. “Bergie’s got the hands, the vision—I’ve seen it in practice, in spurts during games,” McLellan stated. “But right now, he’s playing not to lose instead of playing to win. We sat down, and I told him straight: sometimes you gotta steal from your teammate to get your spot back. Earn it, or someone else will.” The imagery was vivid, evoking the cutthroat reality of NHL lineups where ice time is currency. McLellan’s approach harkens back to his days with the Sharks, where he famously challenged Joe Thornton to “play like the beast you are” during a 2010 slump—words that ignited a 20-point tear. Here, the coach dangled a tantalizing what-if: what if Berggren rediscovers that 2022 magic, transforming from liability to linchpin?

Berggren, ever the introspective type, absorbed the feedback with a nod to resilience. In a rare sit-down with reporters after practice on October 5, he reflected on the conversation’s impact. “Coach McLellan pulled me aside and said, ‘Let it loose’—just like that, simple but real,” Berggren recalled. “He knows my game is offensive, that I can make plays, but I’ve been holding back, worried about mistakes. Hearing him trust me to go for it, even if it costs a shift, it’s freeing. We’ve got the same mindset on how hockey should flow—fast, creative, no fear.” His words carried a quiet conviction, laced with the subtle curiosity of a player pondering his own reinvention. At 25, with a contract extension looming into 2026, Berggren faces a crossroads. Trade rumors swirl faintly in the ether—whispers of interest from skill-hungry teams like the Anaheim Ducks—but his response hints at defiance. “This slump? It’s taught me patience, but I’m done waiting,” he added. “The tools are still here; now it’s about using them without apology.”

The broader implications for the Red Wings ripple outward. McLellan’s tenure has already injected vitality, with the team posting a 7-game win streak in February that “brought us back to life,” as Berggren himself put it earlier in the year. Yet, as October’s chill sets in, Detroit sits precariously in the Atlantic Division, their offense averaging a pedestrian 2.8 goals per game. Berggren’s revival could be the X-factor, unlocking secondary scoring that eases the burden on stars like Patrick Kane, who notched 24 goals last season but can’t carry alone. Analysts point to McLellan’s track record: in Edmonton, he coaxed 60-point seasons from overlooked forwards by fostering “belief systems” through candid dialogue. “The spirit goes up when you’re held accountable,” McLellan noted in a February presser, a philosophy now laser-focused on Berggren. Teammate Moritz Seider echoed the sentiment post-practice: “Todd doesn’t sugarcoat, but that’s what we need. Bergie’s due for a breakout—watch him light it up.”

As the Red Wings prepare for their October 12 tilt against the Buffalo Sabres, all eyes linger on Berggren’s next shift. Will McLellan’s tough nudge propel him toward redemption, or does this slump signal a deeper recalibration? The intrigue lies in the unknown: a player with elite pedigree teetering on the edge, a coach wielding words as weapons and wisdom. In hockey’s unforgiving theater, such stories don’t just unfold—they ignite. For Berggren, the message is clear: the ice awaits, unyielding and full of possibility. If he heeds it, Detroit’s faithful might just witness the offensive renaissance they’ve craved since 2022. The puck drops soon, and with it, the chance to rewrite the narrative.