About a month after announcing the addition of Swedish defender Linus Hultström from Linköping HC, EHC Biel adds another import defender from the SHL to their roster, namely Oskari Laaksonen. The 25-year-old spent the last two seasons with Luleå HF. Before that, he was in the AHL and the Liiga. With Laaksonen, Biel now has three import defenders under contract for the upcoming season, although the future of long-term injured Viktor Lööv is yet to be determined.
Laaksonen is described as a strong skater who brings a lot of dynamism to the defense and directs the game forward with precise passes, allowing the team to switch to offense quickly.
This past season, Laaksonen put up 18 points (five goals and 13 assists) in 24 regular-season games and five assists in seven playoff outings. At the moment, he is recovering from a foot injury sustained during the playoffs semifinal series.