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Detroit Red Wings Sign Simon Edvinsson

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The Swedes are coming. Today, 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 6’5″ defenseman recorded 19 points in 44 games for Frolunda HC in the SHL this season, and 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.

William Wallinder Wins SHL Junior Player Of The Year

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Over the long history of the Detroit Red Wings, there have been some incredible Swedish players. The days of Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, and Tomas Holmstrom may be over, but there is a new wave of Swedish talent coming to claim the ice in Detroit. Lucas Raymond has been outstanding in his rookie season, scoring 56 points in 79 games, and top prospect Simon Edvinsson appears to be a first-pairing defenseman in the making.

It was another prospect though, who received the honor of being the best junior-aged player in the SHL this season. William Wallinder, selected 32nd overall in 2020, took home the award, the second straight time it has been given to a Red Wings defenseman. Moritz Seider–a German playing in the SHL–took it home a year ago, before bursting onto the scene as the likely Calder Trophy winner this season. Wallinder, 19, is another behemoth standing 6’4″, but is actually one of the best skaters in the SHL and recorded 19 points in 47 games for Rogle this season. Get ready, the Swedes are coming.

Filip Zadina Undergoes Appendectomy

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  • Red Wings winger Filip Zadina won’t play again this season after undergoing an appendectomy back in Florida, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan. It was a tough year for the 22-year-old as he managed just 10 goals and 14 assists in 74 games.  While those were career highs, Detroit was undoubtedly expecting more from Zadina, the sixth-overall pick back in 2018.

Taro Hirose And Riley Barber Recalled

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  • The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve brought up wingers Taro Hirose and Riley Barber from Grand Rapids of the AHL under emergency conditions, meaning they won’t count against the four-recall limit. Hirose (53 points in 69 games) and Barber (46 in 46) sit second and third respectively on the Griffins in scoring this season. Later on, the team assigned Barber back to the AHL.

Red Wings Notes: Gagner, Greiss, Hellberg, Pickard

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Red Wings center Sam Gagner is set to reach unrestricted free agency this summer but the 32-year-old told Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that he’s hoping to re-sign with Detroit.  Gagner has had a decent season with 12 goals and 16 assists in 73 contests despite averaging just over 13 minutes a game of playing time.  That’s a pretty good return on a one-year, $850K contract, one that GM Steve Yzerman has given Gagner in each of the last two seasons.  If the veteran – who is just 41 games shy of reaching the 1,000 mark for his career – is willing to make it three years in a row at that price tag, keeping him around would certainly make some sense for Detroit as a capable depth veteran.

More from Detroit:

  • James suggests in a separate column that the Red Wings aren’t expected to offer Thomas Greiss a contract for next season. The 36-year-old netminder was brought in to be a stable platoon option between the pipes and while he did exactly that last year, that hasn’t been the case in 2021-22 as he has a SV% of just .892 along with a 3.56 GAA in 28 appearances.  Greiss’ track record could still get him a look on a one-year deal this summer but it’ll be considerably lower than the $3.6MM AAV he has on his current contract.
  • The timing of Magnus Hellberg’s one-year deal through the rest of this season seemed curious but fellow goalie Alex Nedeljkovic indicated to Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription link) that there had been rumors of Hellberg signing for a little while and that visa issues were holding up the announcement. By the time Hellberg gets through the immigration process, he may only be available to dress for the final few games and if they were looking to sign him closer to the trade deadline as Nedeljkovic inferred, they’re likely to give the 31-year-old a few starts.
  • The Red Wings also aren’t likely to bring back veteran goaltender Calvin Pickard next season, notes Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. The 29-year-old (who is currently up with Detroit on emergency recall but is injured) is in his third season with the team and has seen NHL action in each of those years.  This season, he has a 2.58 GAA along with a .918 SV% with AHL Grand Rapids but with top prospect Sebastian Cossa set to turn pro next season, the Red Wings will want to ensure he has ample game action with the Griffins which will likely push them to let Pickard hit the open market.

USA Hockey Announces 2022 World Championship Coaching Staff

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The IIHF World Championship will begin next month in Finland, and former New York Rangers head coach David Quinn is set to lead the U.S. squad. Today, his staff has been announced, with Jeff Blashill of the Detroit Red Wings, Don Granato of the Buffalo Sabres, and Mike Hastings from Minnesota State University joining as assistants.

Blashill, head coach of the Red Wings for the last seven years, was actually head coach of the men’s national team at three previous World Championships. He also has experience with USA Hockey at the U18 and U20 levels and stops in both the AHL and NCAA. Several players that he is familiar with, including most prominently Dylan Larkin, could be in play for the U.S. at the event, as the Red Wings are set to miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Granato, who took over as the head coach of the Sabres last season, has received many accolades for his work turning the team around. While they won’t reach the playoffs this year, huge developmental steps have been taken from several players. One of those is Tage Thompson, who could play a significant role if selected for the U.S. squad, along with several of his Sabres teammates.

Hastings meanwhile is the lone assistant from outside of the NHL, coming to the Worlds after leading his Minnesota State Mavericks all the way to the national championship game this year. Hastings has been with the program for a decade and helped turn it into one of the most dominant teams in the NCAA, posting winning percentages above .800 in each of the last three years. Nathan Smith, the Mavericks standout who recently debuted with the Arizona Coyotes seems a likely candidate for the team if they so choose, after his outstanding junior season. Dryden McKay, winner of the Hobey Baker and a Mavericks legend, could also be in the mix, depending on the team’s goaltending situation.

The tournament begins on May 13 in Tampere and Helsinki.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Magnus Hellberg

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April 14: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Hellberg has indeed cleared waivers and can now join Detroit for the last few games of the regular season.

April 13: The goaltending for the Detroit Red Wings hasn’t really been up to snuff this season, with 26-year-old Alex Nedeljkovic posting a .900 save percentage in 53 appearances. That’s what makes today’s signing of Magnus Hellberg so interesting. Hellberg has signed a one-year contract. CapFriendly reports that the contract is for this season and includes an $800,000 salary, He now has to clear waivers in order to be eligible to play for the Red Wings down the stretch, and then would be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

This makes things very interesting in Detroit’s crease. Hellberg, 31, was a second-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2011 who had a few cups of coffee in the NHL before leaving for the KHL in 2017. Over the last five seasons he has posted very strong numbers there, registering a .927 save percentage in 169 KHL contests. Add in a .940 in 22 playoff appearances, a World Championship gold medal and a recent Olympic appearance for Sweden, and Hellberg’s resume is pretty impressive.

He could potentially take the spot of Thomas Greiss, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and offer a potential tandem option for Nedeljkovic who is set to become a UFA in the summer of 2023. The Red Wings have Sebastian Cossa on his way, but the first-round pick is still just 19 and still a ways off being an NHL starter.

Hellberg at the very least offers them a depth piece for the organization as they try to transition from rebuilding to contending, and an experienced one at that. The fact that he is 6’6″ and fills nearly the entire net certainly doesn’t hurt.

Robert Mastrosimone Enters Transfer Portal

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If Detroit Red Wings fans were hoping to sign Robert Mastrosimone to an entry-level contract this spring after his junior season at Boston University, it looks like they will be disappointed. According to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, Mastrosimone has entered the transfer portal and will change schools.

Importantly, Mastrosimone’s rights are only held by the Red Wings through August 15, 2023. At that point he could become an unrestricted free agent and sign anywhere in the league. Originally selected 54th overall by the Red Wings in 2019, he has spent the last three seasons at BU, including putting up 25 points in 34 games this season.

The school recently fired head coach Albie O’Connell after a dreadful season and will now lose one of their best players. Mastrosimone was third on the team in scoring and was one of the few pure goal-scorers in the group. His departure may leave room for players like Montreal Canadiens draft pick Luke Tuch to step up, though it certainly won’t improve the overall depth of the program.

For Mastrosimone in particular, a transfer to a program with its sights set on a National Championship certainly could improve his stock if he’s looking to become a UFA next summer or even if he’s still committed to Detroit. Of note is that he will not have to sit out a year like under old transfer rules; Mastrosimone is allowed to transfer once and still be eligible to play the following season.

Sam Gagner Hopes To Stay With The Detroit Red Wings

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In a conversation with Ansar Khan of Michigan Live, Sam Gagner made clear his desire to stay with the Detroit Red Wings, hoping to win with them long-term. Gagner discussed how much he has enjoyed his time with Detroit and being able to settle in with a team, as well as a defined role, and his belief that the Red Wings could soon become a winner, which he wants to be a part of.

As much of a glowing review as Gagner had of playing for Detroit, Red Wings Head Coach Jeff Blashill had for Gagner, praising his leadership during tough times for the Red Wings the past couple of seasons and his ability to play in key defensive situations, including the penalty kill. Much like Gagner himself, Blashill also made clear that he would like to see the veteran stay with Detroit.

Should Gagner remain with Detroit after this season, he would presumably remain in his role as a bottom-six defensive forward who can chip in depth scoring and be a leader and role-model for the incredibly young Red Wings roster. This season, Gagner has 12 goals and 16 assists in 71 games for Detroit, playing on a one year, $850K contract. If Gagner were to re-sign, one could reasonably expect a slight raise on that salary, rewarding Gagner for his all around impact on the team, all the more reasonable considering Detroit’s cap flexibility now and in the future, with only $42.7MM committed in salary next season.

Some might wonder why Detroit would keep a veteran like Gagner around, seeing him as merely a player filling a spot that could go to a young, developing player. However, players like Gagner can be incredibly valuable in helping develop the young players around him, not only helping them on the ice, but also guiding them as professionals off the ice, helping to manage the rather interesting lifestyle of being a professional athlete that most players have never experienced before. Though a bit more central to his teams plans at that point, consider the role Patrick Marleau played for a young Toronto Maple Leafs team, helping players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner develop as professionals, especially in the year prior to John Tavares’s arrival.

As Gagner himself mentioned to Khan, the Red Wings could see themselves as a team pushing for a playoff spot in the near future, perhaps as soon as next year. A veteran role-player like Gagner can be just as valuable to a team and more so to a team with little playoff experience like the current Red Wings roster. Players like Corey Perry and Pat Maroon have factored heavily into deep playoff runs, Maroon winning three straight Stanley Cups between two teams. One could also look at the New York Islanders’ acquisitions of Andy Greene in 2020 and Travis Zajac in 2021 as proof of veteran depth paying dividends.

Of course, there is no contract yet, and as it appears, no talks have happened either, but bringing back the veteran center could pay off more for Detroit than one would expect. At 32 years old and five years removed from a career best 50 point season, the former top prospect is also far from retirement age and still has plenty to give. A look to players like Perry, Maroon, Zajac, Greene, or even Marleau shows that Gagner still has a very in-demand role and this young, up-and-coming Red Wings team could very well use a player to fill that role, as they already have with Gagner.

Jake Walman Out With Upper Body Injury

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  • From Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, defenseman Jake Walman is out of the lineup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury (link). Walman has been a reliable defenseman for both the Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues this season, coming to Detroit from St. Louis in the Nick Leddy trade back in March. No timetable for Walman’s return has been made available yet.

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