Here’s something to get excited about: The Detroit Red Wings have called defender Simon Edvinsson to their Prize picks from the 2021 NHL Draft.
Edvinsson and veteran striker Austin Czarnik were called up under emergency conditions on Friday morning. The Wings, who host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, are dealing with several battered players. including experienced defender Ben Chiarot.
Edvinsson, 20, spent the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins getting used to North American hockey. General manager Steve Yzerman noted earlier this month that Edvinsson had been going through some growing pains, which isn’t unusual. But he’s 6ft 6, 209lbs, smart and appears to have a key role to play the modification.
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Edvinsson leads the Griffins defensemen with 27 points (including five goals) in 51 games. He has four multi-point games and set a personal best with three assists under four points and a plus-5 rating on Feb. 15 in a game against Rockford.
He was scouted as a tall, lanky defender with a lithe stride and attacking head.
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The wings (30-28-9) are nine points away from a playoff spot. Yzerman’s decision to trade four players as of the March 3 deadline, including top-four defenseman Filip Hronek, was an indication that Yzerman didn’t see the Wings advancing to the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean the games are meaningless – as players aim to emphasize – and there is an opportunity to look at a young player like Edvinsson.
This is an opportunity to see how he fares at the NHL level and will further help him understand just how great the summer is ahead of him as he continues his training.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and register with us Red Wings Newsletter. Her latest book, On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft, is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph books. Personalized copies available via your email.
This article originally appeared on the Detroit Free Press: The Detroit Red Wings call up 2021 first-round pick Simon Edvinsson
Source : sports.yahoo.com