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In Detroit, he met with Red Wings' general manager Ken Holland and toured the team's dressing room. In Montreal, he spent two days chatting with Canadiens' GM Bob Gainey.
Now it's time for Fabian Brunnstrom to streamline his list of NHL suitors from four (Detroit, Montreal, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs) to two — and hopefully soon, said his agent, J.P. Barry of CAA Sports.
"Fabian just got back to Sweden (late Monday after visiting Detroit, Montreal and Dallas) and will take a day to think about what he's seen," Barry said yesterday. "We're going to talk (today) then get things rolling."
The four teams fall into two divergent camps: Detroit, Montreal and Dallas are playoff organizations with skilled players and depth while the Maple Leafs are a young group with openings at forward. If Brunnstrom, a 6-foot-1, 203-pound winger, wants to play immediately, his best chance at cracking an NHL line-up lies in Toronto.
What the Maple Leafs can't say with any certainty is that Paul Maurice will coach them next season and Mats Sundin, who is also represented by Barry, will be back as captain.
"Fabian knows Toronto is in change," said Barry, who met with the now unrestricted-free-agent Sundin in Toronto last week. "He accepts that and sees that with change comes opportunity."
As for the other cities in play, Barry noted their pluses saying: "Dallas, Detroit and Montreal are very accomplished teams. They've got several players in their top nine (Brunnstrom) could play with. Dallas and Detroit have more Swedish players in their lineup while Montreal plays a very interesting skill game."
The Red Wings have a solid track record when it comes to developing young players and allowing them to grow into prominent roles. The latest project turned star is Swedish forward Johan Franzen, who recently scored nine goals in Detroit's playoff series win over the Colorado Avalanche.
The Red Wings have guaranteed Brunnstrom a 30-day stay with the team. After that, he would be sent to Grand Rapids of the AHL.
Brunnstrom, 23, is an unrestricted free agent who just completed his first season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League.
