Simon Edvinsson

Simon Edvinsson
Simon Edvinsson in action at the NHL Prospects Tournament.
Born	(2003-02-05) 5 February 2003 (age 21) Onsala, Sweden
Height	6 ft 6 in (198 cm)
Weight	207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams	Detroit Red Wings Grand Rapids Griffins  (AHL) Frölunda HC
NHL draft	6th overall, 2021 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2020–present

Simon Edvinsson (born 5 February 2003) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered a top prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Edvinsson was selected in the first-round, sixth overall, by the Red Wings. ^[1]

Playing career

Edvinsson scoring an empty net goal for the Grand Rapids Griffins

Edvinsson had six points in 14 games playing for Frölunda HC's junior team in the J20 SuperElit, before making his professional debut in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) during the 2020–21 season, posting 1 assist in 10 games for Frölunda. ^[2] Following the season, Edvinsson was the top ranked European defenseman by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Behind Luke Hughes, Edvinsson was the third defenseman selected in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, chosen sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings on 23 July 2021. ^[3]

In the 2021–22 season, his first full season in the SHL, Edvinsson has recorded 19 points in 44 regular season games from the blueline for Frölunda HC. He was named a finalist for the SHL Rookie of the Year Award and led all league rookies with an average of 19:46 time on ice. His 19 points were fourth-most all time for a defenseman under the age of 19 in the SHL. Following a semi-final defeat in the playoffs, Edvinsson was signed by Red Wings to a three-year, entry-level contract on 25 April 2022. ^[4]

After participating in the Detroit Red Wings 2022 training camp, Edvinsson was re-assigned to begin his first North American season in 2022–23 with AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. ^[5] In transitioning to the North American smaller rink, Edvinsson was immediately deployed in a top-pairing role with the Griffins, contributing offensively from the blueline. While leading the team amongst defenseman in scoring, Edvinsson received his first recall to the NHL by the Red Wings on 17 March 2023. ^{[6] [7]} He made his NHL debut with the Red Wings the following day, registering 2 penalty minutes in a third-pairing role alongside fellow Swede Robert Hägg, during a 5–1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche. ^[8]

Personal life

Edvinsson's father, Tobbe is a police officer, and his mother, Åsa, is a personal trainer. He has a younger brother, Hannes. During the offseason, Edvinsson trains in mixed martial arts, which he credits for helping him to control his body. ^[9] He cites Victor Hedman, Miro Heiskanen, and Cale Makar as role models. ^[10]

International play

Medal record
Representing   Sweden
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2022 Canada
World U18 Championships
	2021 Canada

Edvinsson represented Sweden at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championships where he recorded one goal and three assists in seven games and won a bronze medal.

He represented Sweden at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he recorded one goal and one assists in six games and won a bronze medal.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2019–20	Frölunda HC	J20		8	0	6	6	10		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Frölunda HC	J20		14	1	5	6	10		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Frölunda HC	SHL		10	0	1	1	0		1	0	0	0	0
2020–21	Västerås IK	Allsv		14	0	5	5	0		6	1	2	3	8
2021–22	Frölunda HC	SHL		44	2	17	19	18		5	0	2	2	6
2022–23	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		52	5	22	27	52		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		9	2	0	2	12		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		16	1	1	2	4		—	—	—	—	—
2023-24	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		54	8	22	30	51		6	0	2	2	6
SHL totals				54	2	18	20	18		6	0	2	2	6
NHL totals				25	3	1	4	16		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2019	Sweden	U17	6th		5	0	5	5	0
2021	Sweden	U18			7	1	3	4	8
2022	Sweden	WJC			6	1	1	2	2
Junior totals					18	2	9	11	10

References

1. Button, Craig (7 November 2019). "Defencemen dominate early look at 2021 draft class". TSN. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
2. Shulman, Mike. "Top prospects who have caught the attention of scouts overseas". Sportsnet. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
3. "Red Wings land defenseman Simon Edvinsson, goalie Sebastian Cossa in NHL draft first round". DetroitNews.com. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
4. "Red Wings sign defenseman Simon Edvinsson". Detroit Red Wings. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
5. "Red Wings trim roster by 15". Detroit Red Wings. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
6. "Austin Czarnik and Simon Edvinsson recalled from Grand Rapids". Detroit Red Wings. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
7. "Simon Edvinsson nervous about NHL debut, but Red Wings eager to see top prospect". MLive.com. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
8. "Simon Edvinsson's NHL debut has Red Wings 'excited, optimistic' for future". MLive.com. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
9. Wheeler, Scott. "What is the allure of prospect Simon Edvinsson in the NHL Draft: 'Just imagine how good he can be'". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
10. Masters, Mark (20 July 2021). "Top prospect Edvinsson on admiring Hedman, adapting to smaller ice - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 15 August 2022.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Lucas Raymond	Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick 2021	Succeeded by Sebastian Cossa