One of the Detroit Red Wings’ key rebuilding blocks may miss the start of next season.
The Wings announced Tuesday afternoon that defenseman Simon Edvinsson, their prize pick from the 2021 draft, had undergone successful surgery on his left shoulder the previous day. Recovery time is expected to be 4-6 months.
Four months takes Edvinsson to the start of September. The Wings will hold training camp around the third week of that month. Six months pushes his readiness to November.
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Edvinsson was called up in mid-March after posting 27 points in 52 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He dealt briefly with a lower-body injury, but appeared in nine games with the Wings, recording two goals and a minus-seven rating.
Discussing Edvinsson after the season, Wings coach Derek Lalonde said that compared to Edvinsson’s appearances during the 2022 exhibition season, “I saw growth and optimism. It’s tough not to get excited with what we saw in those nine games. I certainly hope he’s going to be pushing for a spot on the team.”
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Edvinsson made inroads during his stint with the Wings, learning valuable lessons about playing in the NHL. He’s a good skater and likes to play with the puck, but he showed a tendency to be out of position, and at times made risky decisions that ended up with the Wings digging the puck out of their own net.
Most immediately, the surgery cuts into valuable time for Edvinsson to be spending in the gym. He’s a big guy already (6-foot-6, 209 pounds) but it is still at an important point in his development for gaining muscle and optimizing his training.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our 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 her e-mail.