Bobby Nardella is departing the Washington Capitals organization four years after signing with the club out of the University of Notre Dame.
Nardella signed a one-year contract with HV71 and will return to Sweden where he spent the 2020-21 campaign with Djurgardens IF, posting a team-high 33 points (7g, 26a) in 47 games.
“I have only heard good things about HV71 and Jönköping and know that it is a club with a lot of history and many fans,” Nardella said per a press release and translated by Google Translate. “I hope to contribute with a strong offense and produce points going forward, but also be a reliable two-way [defender] and who puts a lot of value in the defensive game.”
“In Bobby, we get an extremely skilled offensive [defender], but who also has an upside in the defensive end,” Kent Norberg, HV71’s sports manager, said. “He impressed me greatly during his year in Djurgården and will further strengthen our back side.”
The 27-year-old blueliner became a free agent this summer after the two-year extension he signed with the Capitals in June of 2021 expired. Last season, Nardella played the most AHL games in a single season of his career (61) and tallied 28 points (7g, 21a). However, he saw his role diminish as the season went on and ended up playing in just one of Hershey’s playoff games during their Calder Cup championship run.
Nardella will join fellow 2023 Calder Cup champion Henrik Borgstrom on HV71’s roster. The SHL club also has former NHLers Anton Stralman, Joni Ortio, and Mattias Tendenby signed along with highly-touted Seattle Kraken prospect, Oscar Fisker Molgaard.
Nardella is the second defenseman from Hershey’s 2023 Cup-winning team to depart to Sweden in recent days. Gabriel Carlsson signed a three-year contract with the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers HC after being non-tendered by Capitals in late June.
The Bears have not stayed idle with addressing the new holes on their backend though as they’ve already signed or re-signed Aaron Ness, Chase Priskie, Jake Massie, Nick Leivermann, Benton Maass, Logan Day, Dylan McIlrath, and Michael Kim. Those names will join Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, and Hardy Haman Aktell in Hershey’s defense corps.
Best of luck to @bnardella_7! He has signed a one-year contract in Sweden with HV71.
Thanks for three great seasons in Chocolatetown! pic.twitter.com/8vtbEgln41
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) July 31, 2023
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
