Having dropped their games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, who are division rivals, the Detroit Red Wings earned just one point out of a potential four on their flight home from Sweden. In addition, the injury to Jake Walman and the dreadful play of veteran defensemen Ben Chiarot and Jeff Petry have made it necessary for the Red Wings to bring up talented Swedish blue liner Simon Edvinsson.
The Red Wings blew a major chance in Sweden
The Red Wings had a chance to narrow the gap with the division-leading Boston Bruins in their two-game series in Sweden. However, they found themselves trailing by four goals against the Senators, mounting a remarkable comeback to salvage a point in an overtime loss, which, although disappointing, was somewhat acceptable.
Their performance against the Maple Leafs was marred by squandering a two-goal lead despite a solid showing by goaltender Alex Lyon. Opting for a defensive approach in the third period backfired as Toronto capitalized with a three-goal surge, resulting in Detroit only securing one point out of a potential four against their division rivals.
Simultaneously, Ottawa’s success against the Minnesota Wild today earned them a perfect four out of four points, closing the gap on Detroit in the standings. Toronto is set to face the struggling Wild next, and statistically, they’re favored to win.
Both Ben Chiarot and Jeff Petry were exceptionally poor in Sweden
Ben Chiarot’s recent performances have mirrored Jonathan Ericsson‘s struggles in his final NHL years, while Jeff Petry’s best days are clearly behind him. Both defensemen collectively registered a -6 rating against the Senators, drawing considerable criticism from frustrated Red Wings fans on social media.
The struggles of these defensemen, coupled with Walman’s injury from the previous game, create an opportune moment for the Red Wings to consider promoting highly-regarded defensive prospect Simon Edvinsson. In a nine-game stint in the NHL with Detroit last year, Edvinsson showcased his capabilities, indicating that he has the skill set to compete at the highest level of hockey.
Already having had luck with Swedes in their system in years past, the Red Wings picked Edvinsson with the 6th overall pick in 2021. After one year playing with Frölunda HC in his native Sweden, Edvinsson would make the jump to North America in 2022-23 by suiting up for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. His stint of nine games with Detroit represented the maximum threshold allowed before triggering a year of his three-year entry-level deal. This ensured that his participation remained within the limits to preserve the structure of his contract
Time to bring up Simon Edvinsson
The poor play of both Chiarot and Petry combined with the injury to Walman has cleared a perfect opportunity for Edvinsson to continue to make a name for himself at the NHL level.
In summary, will they make the decision?
The Red Wings could find their missing spark by calling up Simon Edvinsson from the minor leagues, especially after losing steam following their stellar 5-1 start to the year.
