Detroit Red Wings Sign Elmer Soderblom to 2-Year Deal

The 23-year-old winger appeared in 26 games for the Red Wings during the 2024-25 season, registering four goals and 11 points. During his time with the organization, he has largely been with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL).

How Soderblom Did in 2024-25

As a young prospect in need of development, the 159^th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft split the season between Grand Rapids and Detroit. He played in 38 games with the Griffins, registering five goals and 17 points in that span. With the Red Wings, he appeared in 26 games, picking up four goals and 11 points.

Soderblom’s time since coming to North America has largely been split between the minors and the NHL. He showed promise in his first full season with Grand Rapids in 2023-24, notching 13 goals and 29 points in 61 games. His 2024-25 season is viewed as more of an “incomplete” because of the time he spent in the minors beforehand.

What Soderblom Brings to the Table

Size and skill are the first two things that one notices about Soderblom. Given the fact that he is 6-foot-8 and nearly 250 pounds, it would be hard to miss. That kind of size is a rarity for NHL forwards, so the Red Wings took a flyer on him.

Though his size is his calling card, his skill set is interesting. He has much softer hands than one would think, making him capable of playing in tight spaces. He is also dangerous around the net, especially with his ability to screen goalies and be quite difficult for defenders to move.

His skating naturally needs work, but he has shown enough that the Red Wings want to keep him around and see if he can make the full-time jump to the NHL. He could be a solid bottom-six contributor with enough time and development.

How Soderblom Fits With the Red Wings

Right now, Soderblom remains a project. Having said that, he has shown enough at the NHL level that it may finally be time for him to earn a full-time spot on the roster. His hands make him an intriguing addition to the bottom six, someone capable of double-digit goals while being tough to handle in the offensive zone.

Soderblom still has a lot of developing to do, especially when it comes to his 200-foot game. That said, if he can continue moving forward with his development, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him touch the 15-goal mark or better.

Soderblom has the size and skill that teams covet. If he can improve his skating, make himself more reliable in the defensive zone, and continue to progress as a scorer, he could become an underrated part of the Red Wings’ third or fourth line.