MLive’s Ansar Khan and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen have both weighed in on Simon Edvinsson’s comments made after practice at training camp today, and the Detroit News’s John Niyo makes it a trio, discussing Edvinsson’s attempts to make the Wings’ roster as a 19-year-old rookie:
So, then, here we are, with Edvinsson, fresh off a busy summer that included heavy minutes for Sweden’s bronze-medal team at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, auditioning for his dream job during his first extended visit to the U.S.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of different things here in America, but it’s starting to feel like I have a home here,” he admitted with a laugh Friday, while also crowning himself the team’s best putt-putt golfer after a recent outing in Traverse City. “And I started to dream in English, actually. So that’s weird, too.”
Still, Edvinsson turns serious when addressing the prospect of making an NHL roster. He knows the expectations that have traveled with him ever since Detroit selected him No. 6 overall in the 2021 entry draft. And he’s well aware of just how high the bar was raised here last year when Moritz Seider stepped into the Red Wings’ lineup as a 20-year-old defenseman and skated away with the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.
Seider, of course, already had a year of pro hockey in North America under his belt with the Wings’ AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids before spending a year dominating in the Swedish Hockey League. But for Edvinsson, who had a strong showing as an 18-year-old playing for Frolunda in the SHL last winter, understands the challenge is the same.
“You need to earn your spot, and that’s what they told me,” he said. “That’s what I want to do: I want to earn my spot. I don’t want to have it given just because of some hype that I get. I want to really feel that I can play my game in this league and against these players.”
Continued; I really enjoyed this one from Niyo. Good stuff and a wise perspective as always.
