Viggo Bjorck Leaves Swedish Club Early. The Jets Are the Reason.

Winnipeg’s top 2026 draft pick is packing his bags. Viggo Bjorck will not return to Djurgårdens IF for another season in Sweden. The Swedish club announced his departure on social media Thursday, with sports director Marcus Due-Boje confirming the split.

“Viggo Bjorck leaves Djurgården. We wish Viggo the best of luck in his new club and respect his decision, even though we would have loved to see him in Djurgården for one more season,” the post read, translated from Swedish.

Why the sudden move?

Bjorck, selected eighth overall by the Jets in the 2026 NHL Draft, can now sign his entry-level contract and push for a spot on Winnipeg’s opening night roster. Training camp opens September 17, and he’s expected to be there. If he doesn’t stick with the big club, the Jets could loan him back to Sweden. But the door is open now for him to make an immediate impression in North America.

He spent last season with Djurgårdens IF in the SHL, putting up six goals and nine assists in 42 regular-season games. He added a goal and two helpers in three playoff appearances. At the IIHF World Junior Championship, he scored three goals and added six assists for Sweden. Solid numbers for a teenager in a men’s league.

The knock on Bjorck has always been his size. He’s not a big center by NHL standards, and that’s exactly what Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff flagged before the draft.

“Björck definitely lacks the size teams crave in a center,” Ellis wrote. “But that hasn’t slowed him down – he’s absolutely fearless… It’s like watching a younger Zach Benson. Björck’s shot is incredibly deceptive, especially on the power play. He doesn’t give you much to work with if you’re a goalie – and it’s because he doesn’t need to. Quick, accurate and always in a dangerous spot.”

That kind of scouting report suggests the Jets aren’t worried about him getting pushed around. They drafted him for his skill and his guts, not his frame. And by leaving Sweden early, Bjorck is betting on himself to earn a job.

The Jets have a history of letting prospects develop at their own pace. But Bjorck forcing the issue now says something about his confidence. He wants to compete. He wants to prove the size concerns are overblown. And he wants to be in Winnipeg when the puck drops on the season.

Whether he makes the roster out of camp or starts in the AHL remains to be seen. Either way, the Jets just got a closer look at a prospect who isn’t shy about chasing his shot.