The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed a post-draft notebook today, discussing Liam Dower Nilsson’s selection by the Wings, Red Savage’s connections to Kris Draper, and the Wings prospects’ status as something of the Frolunda Indians West:
Nilsson was a teammate of Wings’ first-round pick defenseman Simon Edvinsson at Frolunda, of the Swedish Elite League. The two celebrated when Nilsson’s name was called.
“True moment of happiness,” Nilsson said.
Along with Nilsson and Edvinsson, recent Wings’ draft picks Lucas Raymond, Theodor Niederbach, and Elmer Soderblom are all Frolunda products.
Frolunda has become a sort of pipeline for the Wings, although director of amateur scouting Kris Draper calls it a coincidence that so many recent picks have come from the Swedish club.
“They run an amazing program from youth hockey all the way up,” Draper said. “These guys are coached the right way, brought up the right way, and taught how to play the game. They’ve had so much success at the youth level and the pro level as well.”
Continued
