Red Wings prospect and Team Sweden defenseman Simon Edvinsson has been dealing with a chronic injury throughout the World Junior Championship’s preliminary round, and he suffered from a case of food poisoning a couple of days ago, forcing him to miss a game and feel less than 100% during Sweden’s Quarterfinal win over Latvia…
But Edvinsson is not happy with his performance at the tournament thus far, as he told HockeySverige.se’s Rasmus Kagstrom:
Simon Edvinsson: “I have under-performed”
Simon Edvinsson’s WJC has not turned out as he imagined. He’s been hampered by an injury [suffered in the pre-tournament game vs. the USA] and plagued by food poisoning. Despite the mitigating circumstances, the defenseman judges his own contributions in the tournament:
“I have not been satisfied with how I’ve played in any of the games,” he says to HockeySverige.se.
EDMONTON: Even before the tournament began, bad luck smiled in the face of Swedish star defenseman Simon Edvinsson. In the exhibition game against Canada, he sustained an injury that’s bothered him during the tournament–and, like onions on salmon, he suffered food poisoning before the group stage game against the U.S.A.
“It was blurry during the game (against the U.S.A.). I was really angry and then I went to the hotel where…Without being too graphic, I can say that it wasn’t fun,” says Edvinsson with a wry smile to HockeySverige.se.
“It’s not something I recommend to anyone. It wasn’t great fun, if I may say so. Now I’m fine, so that’s a positive, anyway.”
“I have under-performed”
In the four games that the defenseman has played, he’s produced two points (1 goal + 1 assist) and averaged 21:30 of ice time per game. Despite the injury concerns and the food poisoning, which can be called mitigating circumstances, Edvinsson does not hold back when he is asked to rate his efforts in the tournament thus far.
“I have under-performed. There is so much more to be gained, and I haven’t been satisfied with how I’ve played in any of the games,” he says.
“I haven’t reached the level I want. I have a few more levels in me. Then I had an injury and food poisoning, which put a bit of a damper on the wheels, so the season hasn’t started in the best possible way,” says Edvinsson, who can’t help but laugh.
The Swedish star defenseman, who signed his first NHL contract with the Detroit Red Wings this past spring, hopes to bounce back onto track in the semifinal against Finland, which he expects to be the biggest challenge of the tournament thus far.
“They have many good players. There’s not a specific line that you have to watch out for, but they’re a very deep team. We have to find a way to exploit their weaknesses. It’s a neighboring country, so there will be a little extra glory in the pot. It will be a good game. After all, we still have a rivalry between our countries, so there will probably be a little extra punch and pressure in the game. We’re looking forward to that.”
