Skellefteå AIK has confirmed that goaltender Linus Söderström underwent surgery on a lower-body injury shortly after the team's Swedish championship win in the 2025/2026 season.
The procedure took place in early June, roughly one month after the club secured the SM gold. Team doctor Karin Granberg stated that the operation was planned in advance and followed the same successful method used previously. Söderström, 29, played only five regular-season games due to the injury and shared playoff duties with Strauss Mann. He appeared in eight postseason contests with a 92.6 save percentage. Granberg noted that rehabilitation has already begun and projected a return around early October. Söderström told Norran that addressing the issue promptly was essential to avoid repeating last season's setbacks. He has now won three SM titles, two with Skellefteå and one with HV71.