The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an early-morning article which discusses the Red Wings’ 9 World Junior Championship-participating prospects.
As St. James notes, the Wings’ prospects are taking part in a high-stakes tournament in Edmonton over the next two weeks, and Carter Mazur, Red Savage, Sebastian Cossa, Donovan Sebrango, Eemil Viro, Simon Edvinsson, Theodor Niederbach, William Wallinder and Jan Bednar will all benefit from high-level competition…
The Wings have players on the rosters of half of the participating nations. For some of them, it will be an opportunity to make an impression ahead of challenging for an NHL job next month in Traverse City.
“It’s fantastic for players to go into these world junior tournaments,” general manager Steve Yzerman said July 14. “They’re great experiences individually for them, but also in their development as hockey players playing in big games, do-or-die games and under the pressure, I think is great.”
And St. James breaks down the Wings’ prospects on a roster-by-roster basis, saying this about Team Sweden:
As can be expected with a Swedish national team, there are Wings in the mix: defensemen Simon Edvinsson and William Wallinder, and forward Theodor Niederbach. Edvinsson — the No. 6 overall pick in 2021 — is 6 feet 6, 205 pounds and stayed in Detroit to prepare for the event after turning heads in early July at the Wings’ [summer development camp].
He projects to play a major role for the Swedes, and that should help his cause when he auditions for a role with the Wings. Yzerman signed left-side defensemen Ben Chiarot and Olli Määttä in free agency, but Edvinsson is expected to challenge for the third spot. He has one full season in the Swedish Hockey League, so he’s not coming to camp with the same experience Moritz Seider had last year, but Edvinsson is as confident as he is big, and starring for his country at such a big event will further boost his cause.
Wallinder, drafted at No. 32 in 2020, had 19 points in 47 games in the SHL last season; he’s in a good spot with Rögle, the same team where Seider thrived in 2021 and also home to the Wings’ 2022 first-round pick, forward Marco Kasper. (Kasper, from Austria, opted out of the tournament to prepare for the SHL season). Niederbach (No. 51, 2020) is a right-shot center/wing coming off his first full SHL season (16 points, 51 games with Frölunda) and is also slated to play next season at Rögle.
St. James continues (paywall)
