Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted an early-morning article regarding Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson (who is 6’6″ and at least 207 pounds), noting that he fits into the “Yzerplan” going forward:
The Red Wings want to see [Edvinsson follow Lucas Raymond’s path] because their objective is to make the Red Wings harder to play against. That’s why they acquired 235-pound defenseman Ben Chiarot, feisty forward David Perron and defense-first 6-foot-2 defenseman Olli Maatta among others.
Yzerman sees the newcomers making a difference in Detroit’s top four.
“Kind of defense-first defenders, bigger bodies, get in the way kind of hard to play against,” Yzerman said. “I don’t know what (Coach Derek Lalonde) will ultimately decide but I would expect those two (new defensemen) to play with Moritz and Filip (Hronek) and be good complements for them. They’re big guys, they have good length, they defend pretty well, can block shots and are big bodies that are hard to play against.”
What is unsaid is that Edvinsson is expected to mature into a top-pairing defenseman, although it may take some time. Adding his 6-foot-6 frame to a defense led by 6-foot-4 Moritz Seider is exciting for the team. Chiarot is 6-foot-3. The Red Wings could have a much bigger defense this season.
“If (Edvinsson is) ready to play and play a regular role that would be great for us,” Yzerman said. “We’ll just kind of let the whole thing play itself out, but the World Juniors will be a great stepping stone coming into training camp to try to make an impression and earn a spot on the team.”
