Modin played his youth league games for the Njurunda Sports Club, like Henrik Zetterberg.

In 2001, he was the lone Lightning player at the 51st NHL All-Star Game and won the "Hardest Shot" competition with a blast clocked at 102.1 mph.

For the 2004–05 season, Fredrik Modin returned to Sweden to play for Timrå IK due to the NHL lockout.

On June 30, 2006, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets (along with Fredrik Norrena) in exchange for Marc Denis.

On February 28, 2011, Modin was traded to the Calgary Flames for a seventh round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.