Red Wings recall top defense prospect on emergency loan

The Detroit Red Wings have recalled top defense prospect Simon Edvinsson from the minor leagues. He will serve as a fill-in for the injured Justin Holl, who is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Holl’s injury qualifies Edvinsson’s recall as falling under emergency conditions, preserving Detroit’s limited number of remaining recalls.

It’s just the sixth call-up of Edvinsson’s career, with the 21-year-old defender playing in 11 games between this season and last. He’s scored two goals and three points in those appearances, adding 14 penalty minutes and a -7.

Edvinsson has continued to perform at a high level since being drafted sixth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He currently leads the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins defensemen in scoring, with eight goals and 29 points in 52 games. He’s also managed 51 penalty minutes and a +5. Each of those stats represents improvements over what he posted in 52 games last season – his first year in North American pros – when he managed five goals, 27 points, 52 penalty minutes, and a -3. Edvinsson is one of two 2021 top-10 picks to not yet play out their NHL rookie season, joining Ottawa Senators prospect Tyler Boucher, who has yet to make his NHL debut.

While Edvinsson is joining the Red Wings lineup, there’s not a direct path to ice time just yet. Holl was serving as the seventh defenseman behind what’s been an incredibly consistent Detroit blue line, with all six members playing in at least 59 of Detroit’s 68 games this season. While that lineup is likely to continue forward, Edvinsson could represent an exciting spark plug for a Wings team that’s gone 1-8-0 over their last nine games, getting outscored 19-to-43 – though Edvinsson has just three points in his last seven games. The highly-acclaimed blue-liner will look to breathe life into the Detroit offense if, and hopefully when, he receives a crack at the lineup.