Detroit Red Wings prospects Simon Edvinsson and Theodor Niederbach have been selected to play for Team Sweden at the 2022 IIHF World Juniors.
The Red Wings selected Edvinsson, 18, with the sixth-overall pick at the 2021 draft. The big left-handed defenseman has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 22 games with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League this season.
Niederbach, 19, is nearly a full year older than Edvinsson and was selected by Detroit in the second round (51st overall) of the 2020 draft. The 5’10” right-shooting winger also plays for Frölunda and has two goals and six points in 26 games.
Unsurprisingly, Lucas Raymond will not be attending the World Juniors. The 19-year-old winger has already become a huge National Hockey League star for the Red Wings, who almost certainly viewed him as being too valuable to let go for the tournament. Raymond has 10 goals and 22 points in 26 games this season.
Also left off the Swedish roster: William Wallinder, who the Red Wings selected with the first pick of the 2020 second round. The 19-year-old left-handed defenseman has 10 points in 21 SHL games with Rögle this season but was omitted from the national team in favour of undrafted players Victor Sjoholm and Mans Forsfjall.
The 2022 World Juniors will take place in the Alberta cities of Edmonton and Red Deer, with the competition running between Dec. 26, 2021 and Jan. 5, 2022.
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