On a Thursday night in November, during a game in one of Sweden’s northernmost outposts, Carl Grundstrom felt a pop. It was in his left knee, which had been twisted, and he knew instantly that his journey to the NHL from that town would not be quite as straight as he had hoped.



He was a promising 19-year-old forward, and he needed surgery. Doctors told him he would be sidelined for six weeks.



“It was tough to get back from,” he said.



Five months had passed, and Grundstrom was standing inside Ricoh Coliseum. He was still not in the NHL, but he was closer, preparing for his second stint with the Marlies, just in time for the AHL playoffs. And now that he is here, Grundstrom is not planning to return home anytime soon — he said he won’t play in the Swedish Hockey League next year.



He was taken in the second round in 2016, 57th overall. And up until his injury, everything had been unfolding according to...