Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson had surgery on his left shoulder and the recovery timeline will be four to six months, the team announced Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
The 20-year-old Edvinsson was the sixth pick in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Red Wings. Last season, he had two goals in nine games with Detroit and 27 points in 52 games with its AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.
The 6-foot-6, 209-pound Edvinsson was Detroit’s top-ranked prospect per The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in his most recent prospect pool rankings. In January, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked Edvinsson 35th among NHL-affiliated players and prospects age 23 and younger.
Last season, the Red Wings finished 35-37-10 and had 80 points.
The Red Wings have a five percent chance at landing the No. 1 pick in next week’s draft lottery.
Brutal news here, as the long end of this timeline would stretch into the regular season (and obviously covers the entire summer either way) https://t.co/wel7kMegR6 — Max Bultman (@m_bultman) May 2, 2023
What does this mean for Edvinsson’s opening lineup chances?
The recovery timeline puts the start of the regular season in doubt for Edvinsson, who was expected to have a real chance at making the opening-night lineup. Edvinsson showed real progress in his nine-game NHL stint to end the season, scoring a pair of goals and making notable defensive plays against stars such as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Matthew Tkachuk. That was a promising sign after an up-and-down preseason. The long end of the recovery timeline would put him out until November, and while a quicker recovery could theoretically still have him healthy for camp, the surgery nonetheless means a summer with limited training to prepare. That’s a blow to Edvinsson and to the Red Wings. — Bultman
If he’s not ready for the regular season, who could fill the spot?
If Edvinsson can’t go, 2019 second-round pick Albert Johansson could have an easier path to the early-season lineup. Johansson may have even been called up at the end of this season if not for injury, and Detroit’s management was impressed by his play in the AHL. For that reason, Johansson had a shot to make the 2023-24 opening-night lineup regardless. Detroit has depth on the left side, with Jake Walman, Olli Määttä and Ben Chiarot all returning, but Edvinsson and Johansson’s progress was expected to make for a fascinating camp battle. Chiarot repped on the right side late in the season, and the Red Wings could start him there next season if Johansson (or, if healthy, Edvinsson) wins a job. — Bultman
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(Photo: Rick Osentoski / USA Today)