Detroit Red Wings Sign Simon Edvinsson
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.
Morning Notes: Wallinder, Nurse, Chinakhov
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.
- Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft confirmed today that Darnell Nurse did not make the trip to Columbus and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The team is still hoping their top defenseman will be ready for the playoffs, but he won’t play in today’s afternoon affair or Tuesday’s match against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Oilers are firmly in a playoff position, two points ahead of their likely first-round opponent the Los Angeles Kings, but will certainly want Nurse to shake off any rust before the postseason begins. The 27-year-old has 35 points in 71 games this season while averaging over 25 minutes a night.
- It’s been more than three weeks since rookie Yegor Chinakhov was in the lineup for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he’ll make his return today against the Oilers. Team reporter Jeff Svoboda tweets that Chinakhov will go into the lineup for Brendan Gaunce, giving the 21-year-old a chance to add to his totals down the stretch. Selected 21st overall in 2020, the young forward has 14 points in 58 games this year.
AHL Shuffle: 04/24/22
Even on a Sunday afternoon, it is busy in the NHL these days, as four games will be held before this evening rolls around. Then there are seven more on tap for tonight, making it quite an eventful day. Those matches include a fierce battle between the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators and an all-Florida slugfest between the Panthers and Lightning. As all of those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have re-assigned Filip Gustavsson, Mark Kastelic, and Scott Sabourin to the AHL, giving them back to the Belleville Senators who are jockeying for playoff position. In return, they’ve recalled Kevin Mandolese. The 21-year-old netminder has split the season between the ECHL and AHL, posting a .901 save percentage in 17 appearances at the higher level.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled goaltender Cayden Primeau on an emergency recall. Primeau, 22, has been forced into action for Montreal on many occasions this season thanks to the record-setting number of injuries the team has faced. He has struggled at the NHL level this year, with an .868 save percentage in 12 appearances, although he has been better with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he has a .910 in 32 games there.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
- The Colorado Eagles of the AHL have announced that goaltender Justus Annunen has been re-assigned to their team from the Colorado Avalanche, in advance of the Eagles’ Calder Cup Playoff run. Annunen, 22, was the 64th overall pick in the 2018 draft and has appeared in 48 games for the Eagles this year. He has an .893 save percentage in those 48 games, and he has also appeared in 97 minutes of NHL action this year, and he has a .863 in that small sample size for the Avalanche.
Pacific Division
This page is updated throughout the day.
Poll: Who Will Be The Odd Teams Out In The West?
Though the actual playoff match-ups are not yet set in the East, the eight playoff teams have essentially been locked in since January, due in no small part to the fact that for the first time in NHL history all eight teams to qualify for the postseason in one conference will do so with 100+ points on the year. The Western Conference has been more wide open and with just over a week remaining in the regular season, there are still several playoff spots left unclaimed. While the Colorado Avalanche clinched a spot more than two weeks ago and the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues have since followed (the latter two are the only known first-round series thus far), the final spot in the Pacific Division and the two Western wild card berths remain available.
The Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars currently occupy the wild card positions and the Los Angeles Kings sit in third in the Pacific. Will the status quo prevail over the remaining slate of regular season games? The Vegas Golden Knights remain in the hunt for all of these spots and certainly have the talent on paper and the pre-season expectations to keep things interesting. The Vancouver Canucks are still in the mix as well, but realistically only for a wild card spot. It would require an incredible run to end the year coupled with some help, but it certainly isn’t impossible.
Los Angeles Kings
Currently: 42-27-10, 94 points (.595) – third in the Pacific
Remaining Games: vs. ANA, @ SEA, @ VAN
Key Note: The Kings are on a three-game winning streak and need just a win on Saturday night and a Vegas loss on Sunday to lock up the Pacific. Given the caliber of their remaining schedule, the Kings appear to be in good shape – they always have the wild card to fall back on as well.
Nashville Predators
Currently: 44-28-5, 93 points (.603) – fourth in the Central, first wild card
Remaining Games: @ TBL, vs. MIN, vs. CGY, @ COL, @ ARI
Key Note: The Predators have the best points percentage and goal differential of the teams still fighting for a playoff spot. Nashville should a playoff team, but needs to play like one down the stretch with four very difficult match-ups remaining.
Dallas Stars
Currently: 43-30-5, 91 points (.583) – fifth in the Central, second wild card
Remaining Games: vs. SEA, vs. VGK, vs. ARI, vs. ANA
Key Note: Dallas is slumping at the wrong time, dropping three in a row heading into Saturday. Other than a critical clash with Vegas, they could not have asked for an easier end to the year with a homestand and several easy opponents. If they can’t clinch a playoff spot with this slate, they probably don’t belong there anyhow.
Vegas Golden Knights
Currently: 42-31-5, 89 points (.571) – fourth in the Pacific
Remaining Games: vs. SJS, @ DAL, @ CHI, @ STL
Key Note: The Knights have just as many wins as the Kings and in fewer games; overtime results are all that separate the talented team from a divisional playoff spot. The unclear situation in net is certainly a potential make-or-break issue for Vegas, but if the team should still have a good chance against two non-playoff teams and a playoff team who should be taking the night off in their regular season finale. The decision against Dallas could ultimately decide Vegas’ fate.
Vancouver Canucks
Currently: 38-29-11, 87 points (.558) – fifth in the Pacific
Remaining Games: @ CGY, vs. SEA, vs. LAK, @ EDM
Key Note: Losing is no longer an option for Vancouver, but it might not be anyway. The Flames are locked into their playoff spot and the Oilers and Kings will likely be as well by the time they face the Canucks later in the week; these teams lack purpose in their current match-ups and the Kraken should be a win regardless of the effort level. If Vancouver can take advantage of these situations, perhaps they still have a chance.
What do you think? Who will finish the job and who will be left on the outside looking in?
Who Will Be The Odd Teams Out In The West?
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Vancouver and Vegas 72% (676)
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Vancouver and Dallas 11% (102)
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Vegas and Dallas 5% (44)
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Vegas and Nashville 3% (32)
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Vancouver and Nashville 3% (31)
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Vancouver and L.A. 3% (30)
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Nashville and Dallas 3% (28)
Total votes: 943
Injury Updates: Flyers, Barabanov, Maple Leafs, Murray
Don’t expect the Flyers to get many – if any – reinforcements from their injured list over the final few games. Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link) that the only player that might be able to return is defenseman Nick Seeler with interim head coach Mike Yeo admitting that even that “might be a bit of a long shot”. This means the season has come to an end for wingers Cam Atkinson and Patrick Brown, defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Kevin Connauton, and Cam York, as well as goaltender Carter Hart.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov is listed as probable for tonight’s game against Chicago, notes Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury. Barabanov has been one of the bright spots for San Jose this season, notching 37 points in 65 games, a very nice return on a $1MM AAV. He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer and will be looking at a sizable raise on his next contract.
- The Maple Leafs could have defenseman Jake Muzzin back in the lineup tomorrow against Washington, reports Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). The veteran has been held out of the last few games after struggling a bit after returning from a concussion. Meanwhile, Fox adds that blueliner Rasmus Sandin is expected to start practicing with the team as he works his way back from a knee injury that landed him on LTIR last month. Toronto has enough cap flexibility to activate him if he’s able to get into a game before the end of the season but if not, he should be ready for the playoffs.
- Senators goaltender Matt Murray is hoping to get into a game or two by the end of the season but it doesn’t seem likely to happen, mentions Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The netminder has been out for the last six weeks with a neck injury and is a speculative candidate to play for Canada at next month’s World Championships. An appearance or two in the final week for Ottawa would go a long way towards demonstrating that he’ll be able to play in that tournament.
Snapshots: Jets, Behrens, Lehner, Zadina
With Winnipeg now mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, interim head coach Dave Lowry told reporters, including Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe (Twitter link), that center Mark Scheifele and winger Cole Perfetti aren’t expected to return by the end of the season. Scheifele has missed the last couple of weeks with an upper-body injury while Perfetti has been out for more than two months with an upper-body issue of his own. Perfetti, however, is expected to rejoin the team for practice sometime next week and could be a candidate to play for Canada at the World Championships next month for the second year in a row.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- After an impressive freshman season at the University of Denver, Avalanche defenseman prospect Sean Behrens told Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription link) that he sees himself remaining in college for one or two more years. The 19-year-old was a second-round pick (61st overall) last summer and had 29 points in 37 games as he helped lead the Pioneers to the NCAA title. With Colorado moving blueline prospects Justin Barron and Drew Helleson at the trade deadline, Behrens is now clearly their top prospect on the back end.
- Following Friday’s confusion of reports suggesting Robin Lehner was out for the season while Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer stated he expected the netminder at practice today, the Golden Knights issued a statement indicating that Lehner won’t skate today as he takes an additional maintenance day. However, the team remains hopeful that will be available to play tomorrow against San Jose. This strange situation will drag out a little longer as a result.
- 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.
Senators Activate Thomas Chabot
Although Thomas Chabot had previously been ruled out for the season with a fractured hand, there was some hope that the Senators could get their top defenseman back for a game or two before the year comes to an end. That will indeed be the case as TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that Chabot took the morning skate and will return to the lineup tonight against Montreal.
The 25-year-old has had another impressive season on Ottawa’s back end, collecting 34 points in 55 games and he still leads the team in points by defensemen despite missing 22 contests. More importantly for them, he has logged heavy minutes once again, averaging 26:23 minutes per game to lead the NHL, the third straight season that he has reached the 26-minute mark in ATOI, the only player in the league to do so. Even though the games will be meaningless in the standings, his return will certainly be a welcome one as a result.
It’s expected that Chabot, if healthy, will be asked to represent Team Canada at next month’s World Championships so these last few games will also serve as a testing ground to see if he’ll be good to go for that tournament. It would be his second time playing in that event having also played in it back in 2019.
Atlantic Notes: Sabres, Zboril, Point, Matthews
The Sabres have shown interest in Rangers goaltender Alexandar Georgiev in the past, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Buffalo is in need of goaltending for next season regardless of whether or not they plan to have Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen jump up full-time to the NHL or not. Georgiev is a strong candidate this summer given New York’s salary cap situation and while the 26-year-old has had a tough year (a GAA of 2.91 and a SV% of just .898 in 31 games), there could still be a bit of upside left to make him a worthwhile short-term option. They have shown interest in bringing back Craig Anderson and the veteran could be a good mentor if Luukkonen is on the roster in a platoon situation.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- The Bruins have had extension talks with defenseman Jakub Zboril, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 25-year-old was limited to just ten games with Boston this season before his year came to an end with a torn ACL. Zboril is eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency this summer since this is his fifth professional season but has just 54 career NHL games under his belt so a low-cost one-year deal to give him another chance next season would make some sense for both sides.
- Lightning center Brayden Point will return tonight after missing Thursday’s contest, relays Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Jon Cooper acknowledged that the 26-year-old has been dealing with a nagging issue, terming his absence last game as more than just maintenance. Point has 55 points in 62 games this season and they’ll need him healthy for the playoffs so the fact he only missed the one game has to be encouraging.
- Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will return to the lineup tonight against Florida after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury, mentions TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has four games left to get two goals which would make him the NHL’s first 60-goal scorer since Steven Stamkos reached that mark back in the 2011-12 season.
AHL Shuffle: 04/23/22
The final Saturday of the regular season is a busy one with a dozen games on the schedule including a game that has the potential to be a very high-scoring affair with Toronto in Florida to take on the Panthers. There should be plenty of roster shuffling throughout the day which we’ll keep track of here.
Atlantic Division
- 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.
- The Bruins have sent goaltender Troy Grosenick back to AHL Providence, per the AHL’s transactions log. That suggests that Linus Ullmark has been cleared to return; the team was hoping he’d be able to play in one of their games this weekend. As for Grosenick, he has impressed in the minors this season with a 2.02 GAA and a .931 SV% in 28 games, ranking him first among qualifying netminders in both categories.
- The Senators have recalled winger Scott Sabourin from AHL Belleville, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He’ll be taking the place of Connor Brown who is out with an injury. Sabourin has 16 points and 70 penalty minutes in 38 minor league contests this season.
- The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) the recall of defenseman Carl Dahlstrom from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. The 27-year-old has an assist in two NHL games this season while chipping in with 14 helpers in 47 contests with the Marlies.
Metropolitan Division
- The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom from AHL Lehigh Valley under emergency conditions. The 25-year-old made his NHL debut back in December and has played in three games with Philadelphia so far, posting a 3.29 GAA and a .915 SV%. With Carter Hart still unavailable, Sandstrom should continue to back up Martin Jones down the stretch.
Central Division
- The Jets announced (via Twitter) that goaltender Mikhail Berdin has been returned to AHL Manitoba. The 24-year-old had been serving as Winnipeg’s backup on an emergency basis when Connor Hellebuyck was unable to suit up due to illness. Berdin has yet to play in the NHL but has a 2.43 GAA with a .901 SV% in 29 games with the Moose this season.
- The Wild announced they’ve recalled winger Joseph Cramarossa from AHL Iowa. The 29-year-old has played in 51 games in the minors this season, notching 19 points after spending most of last year on the taxi squad. Cramarossa’s promotion was needed with winger Mats Zuccarello being ruled out for Sunday’s game in Nashville.
Pacific Division
- The Flames announced (Twitter link) that they’ve brought up goaltender Dustin Wolf from AHL Stockton. This is an emergency recall with Jacob Markstrom unavailable being unavailable for tonight’s game against Vancouver. Wolf has done quite well in his first full AHL season, posting a 2.33 GAA along with a .924 SV% in 46 games.
This post is updated throughout the day.
Central Notes: Dumba, Greenway, Francouz, Beagle
The availability for Wild defenseman Mathew Dumba heading into the playoffs appears to be uncertain. Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that head coach Dean Evason is calling the blueliner a “wildcard” in terms of his potential readiness for their opening game against St. Louis. In particular, Dumba hasn’t been shooting the puck well. He’d be a big loss for them if he can’t start in the postseason with the 27-year-old logging over 23 minutes a game this season.
Meanwhile, the news is better for winger Jordan Greenway. While he has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game in Nashville, Evason indicated that Greenway is ahead of Dumba in his recovery which suggests he may be able to return to the Wild’s lineup next week. The 25-year-old has 23 points in 59 games this season.
More from the Central:
- Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz left Friday’s game against Edmonton early after being hit in the head with a puck on the bench, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. There’s no word on how long the 31-year-old might be out for but any absence would be significant as Francouz has impressed this season with a 2.52 GAA and .918 SV% in 20 games. Justus Annunen has been recalled from AHL Colorado in a corresponding move.
- Coyotes center Jay Beagle is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link). The 36-year-old was injured early in Wednesday’s game against Chicago and has been limited to just 33 appearances this season. While he has been able to win faceoffs at a high level (57.1% this season), Beagle has just two points and has struggled, leading to some questions about his NHL future. To that end, Beagle told Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic earlier this week that he has yet to decide whether to pursue a contract for next season in free agency or to hang up his skates.