According to HockeyNews.se’s Mattias Ek, the Frolunda Indians believe that the Red Wings won’t bring Simon Edvinsson over to North America this upcoming season, so Frolunda has lined up a mentor for the Red Wings draft pick as Edvinsson prepares to skate his first full season in the SHL. Here’s a rough translation of Ek’s article:
Frolunda hopes to keep the top prospect–gets a masterful mentor
Frolunda hopes and believes that the Detroit-drafted top prospect Simon Edvinsson will remain in the SHL this season.
Therefore, head coach Roger Ronnberg has acquired the best possible mentor in Frolunda for Edvinsson.
The NHL-veteran and fresh SHL champion Christian Folin is intended as the defensive partner for Simon Edvinsson, 18.
Folin himself played with Frolunda as a junior before he went to North America, where he played in 244 NHL games for Minnesota, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Montreal.
Frolunda coach Roger Ronnberg, of course, has the idea of having Folin as a defensive partner for Simon Edvinsson, who was Detroit’s first choice (sixth overall) in this summer’s NHL draft.
“It’s above all a mentorship from the beginning that I want there, from the experienced Folin to the young Edvinsson. They have evident profiles, that one is perhaps a little more offensively inclined, and one is a little more defensively inclined in their tendencies, where they can cover for each other in a good way. We’ve figured it out,” says Ronnberg to HockeyNews.se.
On Tuesday, Frolunda plays in its first exhibition game of the season, against the reigning SHL champions, the Vaxjo Lakers, in Kungsbacka, where both Folin and Edvinsson are from.
“Folin is a great mentor (to Edvinsson). A guy with great character. It’s wonderful,” says Ronnberg.
The NHL team Boston is reportedly signing a contract with former Frolunda forward Fabian Lysell, 18, of Lulea, who was also drafted in the first round of the NHL draft at the end of July.
Frolunda believes that he can keep the great prospect Simon Edvinsson, who’s not expected to sign an NHL contract with Detroit before the IIHF deadline [for Europeans to sign NHL contracts] on August 15th.
“No, we haven’t heard the slightest hint in that direction,” says Roger Ronnberg.
Detroit has already brought over Frolunda forward Lucas Raymond for this upcoming season.
