The Detroit Red Wings strengthened their future blue line depth today by signing Swedish defenceman Simon Edvinsson to a three-year entry-level contract. The Simon Edvinsson contract signing was announced on Twitter.
UPDATE: The #RedWings today signed defenseman Simon Edvinsson to a three-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2022-23 season. pic.twitter.com/oInqZKpZFN
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 24, 2022
Simon Edvinsson Contract to Start 2022-23
Edvinsson was a sensation for Frolunda HC of the SHL. He is nominated for rookie of the year along with fellow Red Wings signee Pontus Andreasson. Edvinsson and Andreasson recently crossed paths because Lulea Hockey just eliminated Simon and Frolunda from the SHL playoff semifinals in five games.
Edvinsson had a pair of goals and 17 assists for 19 points over 44 regular-season games this year. In the playoffs, he recorded two assists over five games. He accrued 24 penalty minutes this year and averaged around 20 minutes of ice time.
What This Means for the Future
Detroit’s defence corps is awful. It is possible Edvinsson could make the opening night roster for the Red Wings with a strong enough training camp. It’s hard to imagine Wings general manager Steve Yzerman weaving enough magic to completely rule out Simon starting in Detroit. Elite Prospects describes him as:
“…a detailed defender with high-level in-zone instincts, a tight neutral zone gap, well-timed physicality, and supporting instincts to match. He manoeuvres with the puck kept in his hip pocket, with his top hand in control, free from his body. With a smooth and gracious skating stride scaffolded on top of those mechanical handling skills, Edvinsson’s tools sometimes take him to rarified air as a puck-carrier.”
The Simon Edvinsson contract secures the young thoroughbred defender the Wings need to pair opposite Moritz Seider. These two will be Detroit’s top pair of the future, but whether that begins next year is up to Simon. If Edvinsson shows out at camp anywhere close to how Seider did from the one before, then there’s no doubt of Simon’s inclusion on the roster. Detroit will not be expecting this to be the case. They’ll start his development in Grand Rapids if they feel he still has something to learn or refine before his NHL debut. But whether he starts in the NHL or AHL, Detroit fans have lots to look forward to from Edvinsson.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
