The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed a notebook article which profiles Red Wings prospect and Team Sweden World Junior Championship defenseman Simon Edvinsson:
Edvinsson has 12 points (11 of them assists) in 24 games, with a plus-4 rating, while playing top-four minutes as an 18-year-old for the powerhouse organization.
Fredrik Sjostrom, the Frolunda general manager, has felt Edvinsson’s potential has been an intriguing ingredient for scouts evaluating Edvinsson.
“Simon has tremendous upside,” Sjostrom said. “When you have that size and reach and skate as well as he does, you’re going to go early in the draft. In today’s game, you need speed and ability. He’ll definitely be a top-pair defenseman in the NHL.”
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“He’s a big, rangy D that can really skate,” Yzerman said. “He’s got good puck skills. We just see his potential to be a defenseman that can log a lot of minutes, (and) can be a solid defender that can add some offense to the game as well. We like his skating ability, his size, his reach and we’re hoping he can become a big-minute defenseman for us.”
Sjostrom, the Frolunda GM, played against Nicklas Lidstrom in the NHL and believes there are characteristics in Edvinsson’s game that compare favorably with Lidstrom.
“He (Lidstrom) was one of the best defensive defenseman not because he was physical but because he was smart,” Sjostrom said. “Simon doesn’t get enough credit for his defensive game. He’s a very good defender and moves really well for his size. He just needs time to grow into his body, to build strength the right way.”
