The Swedes are coming. On Sunday, the Detroit Red Wings have officially signed top prospect Simon Edvinsson to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will begin in 2022-23, opening up the possibility of him playing in the NHL next season.
Edvinsson, 19, was selected sixth overall by the Red Wings in 2021 and has quickly become one of the most highly regarded prospects in the world. The 6-foot-5 defenseman recorded 19 points in 44 games for Frolunda HC in the SHL this season, and he looked as though he was a step ahead of many of his contemporaries in the two games before the World Juniors was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Edvinsson has first-pairing upside for the Red Wings and could quickly join former teammate Lucas Raymond on the ice for them next season.
Still, he does have a contract with Frolunda through 2022-23, meaning if he failed to make the Red Wings roster, the team could choose to send him back to Sweden to continue his development overseas. Because he is a first-round pick, that is up to Detroit management, who could also send him directly to the AHL if they feel that’s a better level for him to be playing at this point in his career. William Wallinder, another Swedish defenseman (who won the SHL Junior Player of the Year), wouldn’t have the same luxury. He would have to be sent back overseas if he signed his entry-level deal and failed to make Detroit’s NHL roster because he was selected in the second round.
Either way, getting Edvinsson signed is a huge win for the Red Wings, who look like they will be competing for a playoff spot sooner rather than later. The idea of an Edvinsson-Moritz Seider pairing should have fans drooling, as they transition out of the rebuild and try to start pushing the program back to great heights.
Because he’s still so young — Edvinsson only turned 19 in February — this contract could actually still slide forward as well, should he fail to make the Red Wings next season. Even spending the whole year at the AHL level would not burn the first year of the deal, as Edvinsson will have up to nine NHL games before it kicks in.
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