Author: George Malik

The Semifinal round at the World Junior Championship concluded with a historic rivalry as Sweden and Finland battled for a spot in the Gold Medal Game.

Finland won 1-0, fairly easily shutting the Swedes down after scoring their 1-0 goal. The Swedes played as well as they could, but their inability to score and the Finnish Trap yielded a well-earned win by the Finns.

Finland will play Canada for Gold on Saturday at 8 PM (on TSN and the NHL Network).

Sweden will play for Bronze vs. Czechia at 4 PM (TSN/NHL Network).

In terms of Red Wings prospects playing in the game:

Simon Edvinsson: Edvinsson played on the Swedes’ top defensive pair with Helge Grans. He finished even with no shots in 22:43, and that pretty much summed up his game, because Edvinsson looked really uncomfortable on the ice at times. I don’t know whether it was lingering effects from food poisoning, lingering effects from whatever injury he suffered in the exhibition round, or what, but the elegant-skating, super-talented Edvinsson did not look quite like himself throughout the tournament, and he’s going to have to have a “gut check” tomorrow vs. Czechia.

Theodor Niederbach: Niederbach centered the Swedes’ second line, between Oskar Olausson and Daniel Torgersson. Niederbach finished even with 1 shot in 17:33, but he was plucky, he went to the net for rebounds, he eventually won more faceoffs than he lost early on, and he displayed an edge that I didn’t know he had. He was a pleasant surprise on a rough night for the Swedes.

William Wallinder: Wallinder played on the Swedes’ third defensive pair, alongside Emil Andrae. Wallinder finished even with no shots in 17:23 played, and there were moments when he made mistakes, but he’s still learning, and the massive 6’4″ defenseman was efficient and smart for the most part, strong-skating and solid.

Eemil Viro: Viro played on the Finns’ third defensive pairing, with Aleksi Heimosalmi. Viro finished even with no shots in 20:15, and he looked very solid, spare, and simply efficient–and he got away with a couple of nasty checks and hacks and whacks that I’ve rarely seen from him. At 6′ and 165 pounds, he’s going to have to overcome his size, but he does a good job with that short stick and his smart skating to play bigger than he is.

In terms of the game’s narrative…

The “home team” took to the ice on Friday as Team Canada battled the plucky Czechs in one of two World Junior Championship Semifinal games, with both teams attempting to earn a spot in the Gold Medal Game.

Canada won 5-2, advancing to the Gold Medal Game; the valiant Czechs would play for Bronze.

In terms of Red Wings prospects playing in the game:

Donovan Sebrango: Sebrango played on the Canadians’ first defensive pair with Olen Zellweger. He finished at +1 with 1 shot in 20:53 played, and he was the stay-at-home stalwart who allowed his defensive partner to rack up points. Sebrango’s safe, steady, communicative manner works well on a team full of superstars.

Jan Bednar: Bednar didn’t dress for the Czechs, having lost his starter’s job to Tomas Suchanek. I can’t say that Bednar’s performance at the WJC was encouraging, but short tournaments aren’t kind to players who are still learning to play consistently. Bednar will go back to the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan and have a good season there.

In terms of the game’s narrative…

When Ryan Martin left the Red Wings to become the New York Rangers’ assistant GM, he took European scout Ari Vuori with him, and today, the Rangers announced that Vuori, a long-time Finnish scout for Detroit, has been named their director of European scouting:

#NYR have named Ari Vuori Director of European Scouting. pic.twitter.com/jSkjgeMj8R

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) August 19, 2022

CBS Sports’ Austin Nivision posted a list of his “top signings” of the unrestricted free agency period, and two Red Wings players made his list:

David Perron | LW | Detroit Red Wings: While it may not be the biggest move, this is up there with my favorite signings of the offseason. David Perron is 34, but he still has plenty of game left, and Detroit signed him for just $4.75 million per year over the next two seasons. Perron is coming off a 2021-22 campaign with the Blues in which he scored 27 goals and tallied 30 assists in 67 games played.

The Red Wings needed some forward depth, and they got a quality top-six winger in Perron. He will also add some experience and veteran leadership to a locker room that has some incredibly skilled young players. Defenseman Moritz Seider just won the Calder Trophy and winger Lucas Raymond was right there in the race with him. Perron’s presence will supplement those players as Detroit tries to turn a corner in its rebuild under general manager Steve Yzerman. Even if that doesn’t happen, Perron could bring back a strong haul in a trade.

…

Andrew Copp | C | Detroit Red Wings:

Steve Yzerman can’t be accused of resting on his laurels this offseason. Sensing his team is ready to make a playoff push, he went on a bit of spending spree and Copp is one of the notable additions. Signed for five seasons at a total of $28.125 million, Copp will be a significant part of the future in Detroit.

After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Winnipeg Jets, Copp had a bit of a coming out party last year. Always a reliable presence in the defensive zone, Copp found an offensive groove in 2021-22, and he scored eight goals in 16 games after being traded to the Rangers. What might be even more impressive about Copp’s brief tenure in New York is the fact that the Rangers posted a 56.44% expected goals share at five-on-five when he was in the game, according to Natural Stat Trick. Considering that was not New York’s strong suit, that shows the impact Copp can have at both ends of the ice.

Continued; I can’t see Perron moving in a trade given that he’ll have 1 year remaining on his $4.75 million cap-hit contract this spring.

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills continues his “Roster Reset” series of articles by examining the Red Wings’ depth at the center position heading into the 2022-2023 season this morning:

Entering his third campaign donning the “C” for the Red Wings is 26-year-old Dylan Larkin, who finished last season with a team-leading 31 goals and 69 points in 71 games. The Waterford, Mich., native also represented Detroit at 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend, marking his first All-Star Game since his rookie campaign in 2015-16.

After undergoing core muscle surgery in April which sidelined him for the Red Wings’ final six games last season, Larkin expects to be a full participant at camp and is “optimistic about the future.”

“I love being a Red Wing,” Larkin said in his end-of-season media session on May 3. “I love being the captain of the team and I think this team is gonna do special things in the future.”

Also returning to Detroit this season are natural centers Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, Pius Suter, Oskar Sundqvist and Joe Veleno.

Fabbri, who signed a three-year contract extension last December, had 17 goals and 13 assists in 56 games last season before suffering a season-ending torn ACL against the Minnesota Wild on March 10.

When speaking in his end-of-season media session on May 4, Fabbri emphasized patience in his recovery, adding that he may not be ready for the start of the upcoming campaign.

“We’re going to play it by ear,” the 26-year-old said about his third career ACL injury. “We’re going to work with the medical staff and the goal is to get better as soon as possible, but doing it the right way, doing it safely and making sure this is the last time.”

Continued

I’m unable to access Aftonbladet’s paywall articles, but IceHockeyGifs has the ability to do so, and he notes the following from Tomas Ros’ preview of the SHL team Leksands IF:

Aftonbladet’s Tomas Ros comments on Anton Johansson:

“One of the game’s biggest standouts, with good reach and exciting offense.
Played a fine game and showed off his mobility. Will get more games in Leksand [SHL] this winter.” #LGRWhttps://t.co/a3Rz0m4HbL https://t.co/ONmoO1jYPk— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) August 19, 2022

The Red Wings drafted right-shooting defenseman Anton Johansson 105th overall in this summer’s NHL Draft. He’s 6’4″ but weighs only 172 pounds.

He’s played exclusively for Leksands’ Under-18 and Under-20 teams, so he’s looking to break into the SHL as a player who didn’t turn 18 until this past June.

According to EliteProspects.com, his dad, Thomas Johansson, was a long-time SHL defenseman, so he has “good bloodlines,” as they say.

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.”

Red Wings prospect and Team Sweden defenseman Simon Edvinsson clarified the reason why he missed Monday’s game vs. Latvia at the World Junior Championship. It turns out that he had food poisoning, as he told HockeyNews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg:

Edvinsson had an injury and food poisoning: “I don’t recommend it”

EDMONTON. Simon Edvinsson has had a relatively modest World Junior Championship in Edmonton, for obvious reasons.

The defensive star suffered an injury during an exhibition game against the U.S.A., and he got food poisoning and a fever.

“The food poisoning was a little more difficult than the injury, but we are professional ice hockey players and should be able to deal with that as well,” Edvinsson told HockeyNews.se.

Team captain Emil Andrae has been the Junior Crowns’ best player and perhaps the best defender of the entire tournament now that we are at the Semifinals of the Junior World Championship.

Canada faces the Czech Republic [at 4 PM EDT] and, for the Junior Crowns, Finland awaits tomorrow [at 8 PM EDT].

Defensive star Simon Edvinsson has missed one of the games in the group stage, and a couple of practice sessions with the team during the tournament, and now he tells us about the challenges he’s struggled with off the ice.

“It’s been a bit up and down. It started well there, but then I had a bit of trouble with an injury, and once I was back, I got food poisoning during the game against the U.S.A., and I felt like I was getting a fever and stuff. But yes, at least I’m back on the ice now and I’m ready to play against Finland,” says Edvinsson.

What’s it like to have to deal with such things during a championship?

“I don’t recommend it. But, uh, it’s something you have to take. Things happen all the time, food poisoning was a bit more troublesome than the injury, but we are all professional hockey players, and should be able to deal with it,” says the former Frolunda defenseman.

Now the Swedes are preparing for the rival meeting against Finland–who defeated Sweden in one of the exhibition games before the tournament.

“They are a good team, and we beat a bit at a disadvantage, but everyone is positive about it,” says Edvinsson.

Here’s his (Swedish) interview:

Of short Red Wings-related note this evening:

1. The Red Wings retweeted this short video from the NHL Network, whose Mike Rupp and Tony Luftman are bullish on the Red Wings (eventual) defensive dominance:

"Look out because they're going to be a juggernaut."

The @DetroitRedWings have the pieces in place to be competitive for years to come. @TonyLuftman | @Rupper17 | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/qRS4g5uLi4

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 18, 2022

2. CBS Sports’ Chris Bengel wrote an article attempting to handicap each and every one of the NHL’s teams’ potential Hall of Fame candidates, and he made an obvious pick:

Detroit Red Wings: Moritz Seider (D)

Current Hall of Fame “lock”: No

Seider started off his NHL career by winning the Calder Trophy this year.

In his rookie campaign, Seider tallied 50 points (seven goals & 43 assists) and became just the fifth defenseman to win the Calder Trophy in the past 20 years. 

He obviously has a long way to go in his career, but producing an award-winning season in his first professional year certainly sets the bar high.

Maybe one day!

3. Speaking of Seider, PennLive.com’s Deb Kiner reports the following:

FOCO today released four new bobbleheads that feature National Hockey League award winners from last year.

Players available are Auston Matthews, Igor Shesterkin, Moritz Seider, and recent Stanley Cup Champion Cale Makar.

Each bobblehead features the player in an action pose atop a thematic trophy base. Their names are displayed in front next to their respective team logos. The bobbles are limited to 322 units, stand at 8-inches in tall and sell for $80. They will ship no later than Feb. 3, 2023.

If you want to spend $80 on a Moritz Seider bobblehead which includes a little replica of the Calder Trophy, here you go.

Here’s the schedule for the World Junior Championship’s semifinal round on Friday, August 19th:

Canada vs. Czechia @ 4 PM EDT on TSN and the NHL Network;

Dominic Sebrango and Sebastian Cossa play for Canada; Jan Bednar plays for Czechia…

Sweden vs. Finland @ 8 PM EDT on TSN and the NHL Network;

Simon Edvinsson, Theodor Niederbach and William Wallinder play for Sweden; Eemil Viro plays for Finland.