RD Simon Edvinsson - Grand Rapids Griffins., AHL (2021, 6th, DET)

[cjeagle]

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Ok

I said in a post recently that I think I may have totally been wrong about him. I can admit when I'm wrong. He looks like a totally different player this year.

 

[newfy]

I said in a post recently that I think I may have totally been wrong about him. I can admit when I'm wrong. He looks like a totally different player this year.

I dont think he looks totally different at all to be honest. Too many people just form their opinions on videos like Scouching where he can pick and choose what he wants to highlight and run with it. Anyone who really watched Edvinsson last year wasnt nearly as worried as some people on HFboards were.

Most who had actually watched him play thought he was a potential steal at 6, not a reach or a bad pick like a lot of posters thought for some reason.

 

[jfrank21]

I dont think he looks totally different at all to be honest. Too many people just form their opinions on videos like Scouching where he can pick and choose what he wants to highlight and run with it. Anyone who really watched Edvinsson last year wasnt nearly as worried as some people on HFboards were.

Most who had actually watched him play thought he was a potential steal at 6, not a reach or a bad pick like a lot of posters thought for some reason.

Come on now, he has taken a noticeable step. You don't typically go from getting bounced around 3 leagues to being glued to the top pair in the top league and bandied about as a potential olympic team member in less than 6 months. I wasn't thrilled on draft night, but said that I trusted the staff's decision. I think he has a strong chance to make his NHL debut next season (at the start) and I don't believe for a second that people thought that was the expectation when he was in his draft year.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

I loved this pick on draft day, loved the Seider pick on draft day too.

Can I have my cookie now?

Seriously now, this kid is looking great! Hitting on D in the top end of the draft will make or break a rebuild. Mo and this kid could become a dominate force in the future.

Very exciting time to be a Wings fan.

I had Clarke ranked higher, but loved this pick. My bro and I high fived when it was announced. Was also extremely stoked by the Seider pick. Got no cookies, but in a serious way...

 

[Ezekial]

Will Scouching in shambles

Just kidding, but he was overly harsh on Edvinsson and swayed some of the weak minded HFBoards experts.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

Will Scouching in shambles

Just kidding, but he was overly harsh on Edvinsson and swayed some of the weak minded HFBoards experts.

He was harsh towards Seider as well. But he can be very critical towards young defenseman. Scouch likes players that are easier to project. To his credit, I don’t think most people didn’t expect Seider to make the impact he’s had and Simon to play this good this soon.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Injured

 

[ponder]

Injured

Ouch, that looks like a concussion, hopefully not too bad.

Should be a very significant suspension IMO. Dude goes out of his way to target the head there, pretty brutal headshot.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Will Scouching in shambles

Just kidding, but he was overly harsh on Edvinsson and swayed some of the weak minded HFBoards experts.

I saw that topdownhockey guy throwing a tantrum on twitter now as well because he's bitter about failing hard on Edvinsson.
Tbh the people who actually formed their opinion from watching video at least saw legit questionmarks. Many people probably just overrated how much it matters to not be a perfect decisionmaker at 17 when you have elite physical tools.

 

[Dotter]

Staffan Kronwall making the Victor Hedman comparison:

Any relation to Nick Kronwall?

 

[Pavels Dog]

Any relation to Nick Kronwall?

Brother! Staffan is a good former player in his own right, though never quite on Nick's level.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

I dont think he looks totally different at all to be honest. Too many people just form their opinions on videos like Scouching where he can pick and choose what he wants to highlight and run with it. Anyone who really watched Edvinsson last year wasnt nearly as worried as some people on HFboards were.

Most who had actually watched him play thought he was a potential steal at 6, not a reach or a bad pick like a lot of posters thought for some reason.

I literally watched him all year last year lol. He looks a lot better this year than he did last year, it really is that simple. And he's grown in the areas that were clear issues in his game, which is huge.

 

[Pavels Dog]

 

[newfy]

Come on now, he has taken a noticeable step. You don't typically go from getting bounced around 3 leagues to being glued to the top pair in the top league and bandied about as a potential olympic team member in less than 6 months. I wasn't thrilled on draft night, but said that I trusted the staff's decision. I think he has a strong chance to make his NHL debut next season (at the start) and I don't believe for a second that people thought that was the expectation when he was in his draft year.

Hes taken a major step for sure but he doesnt look totally different at all. Last year he was playing like a potential top 3 pick, we know for a fact that at least one NHL team had him ranked first overall as well. Hes developed obviously, but not to some ridiculous degree that this should be completely unexpected.

He doesnt look different enough out there that the people who actually hated the pick shouldnt be eating their crow right now. I liked the pick and hes obviously exceeding what my expectations were but lets not pretend this is some later first round pick doing this. Its a guy who was in legit talks for a top 2 or 3 pick all year.

Saying hes drastically different is just an easy cop out for people who bought into scouching's youtube videos instead of watching the games and taking NHL scouts opinions seriously

 

[Seiza]

Ouch, that looks like a concussion, hopefully not too bad.

Should be a very significant suspension IMO. Dude goes out of his way to target the head there, pretty brutal headshot.

No suspension given, which was the correct call. 2 minutes would have been enough and actually Edvinsson agrees himself. Said he should have prepared for the hit better.

 

[ponder]

No suspension given, which was the correct call. 2 minutes would have been enough and actually Edvinsson agrees himself. Said he should have prepared for the hit better.

Obviously these things are highly subjective, but personally I feel he targeted the head there. Edvinsson is a tall dude even a bit hunched over, the hitter had to explode up and hit high to get the head, which he did.

 

[cjeagle]

Obviously these things are highly subjective, but personally I feel he targeted the head there. Edvinsson is a tall dude even a bit hunched over, the hitter had to explode up and hit high to get the head, which he did.

Apparently Frolunda's coach Ronnberg was pretty upset with the hit to the head and got into a shouting match with Farjestad's coach Pennerborn in the postmatch press conference.

One of the commentators in Sweden didn't agree with the Disciplinary Committee's decision not to penalize Widerstrom for the hit any further saying that the concept that a “north-south hit” still means that the player getting hit is the one responsible for getting hit in the damn head is outdated at best and dangerous to the health of skilled players who are just trying to do their damn jobs most of the time.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Hes taken a major step for sure but he doesnt look totally different at all. Last year he was playing like a potential top 3 pick, we know for a fact that at least one NHL team had him ranked first overall as well. Hes developed obviously, but not to some ridiculous degree that this should be completely unexpected.

He doesnt look different enough out there that the people who actually hated the pick shouldnt be eating their crow right now. I liked the pick and hes obviously exceeding what my expectations were but lets not pretend this is some later first round pick doing this. Its a guy who was in legit talks for a top 2 or 3 pick all year.

Saying hes drastically different is just an easy cop out for people who bought into scouching's youtube videos instead of watching the games and taking NHL scouts opinions seriously

It's not totally different but definitely improved. Edvinsson is skating with the puck much more than last season where we only saw glimpses of that potential. He's carrying it like an 80's puck rusher and making plays along the halfwall and behind the net with much more regularity. In addition to this his passing has been much, much more crisp. Just look at the difference from his play at the WJC18's to the beginning of this season. The fundamentals of his game have really become sharper.

 

[newfy]

It's not totally different but definitely improved. Edvinsson is skating with the puck much more than last season where we only saw glimpses of that potential. He's carrying it like an 80's puck rusher and making plays along the halfwall and behind the net with much more regularity. In addition to this his passing has been much, much more crisp. Just look at the difference from his play at the WJC18's to the beginning of this season. The fundamentals of his game have really become sharper.

I watched him at those u18s an came away from that tournament wanting the wings to draft him more if anything. That team was a mess but he was regularly the only one that showed much at all and looked like he even cared. A lot of NHL scouts agreed with that obviously. I'm not saying it was horrible to have a wait and see approach on the pick at 6, but there were a lot of people that were adamantly against it all the way down at 6 eating crow and acting like this was some outrageous development to save some face. Plenty of people saw this level of play potential (even if its a year sooner than thought or whatever) for him.

I didnt really see his passing as a major issue. That was seen as an issue by people who watched youtube videos that highlighted that aspect of his game getting nitpicky. I know this isnt only a wings board issue but its been pretty clear over there draft after draft that the overreactions are outrageous. Larkin got called Helm with hands and half the board had a meltdown, Bertuzzi coulda been signed as an UDFA, Seider was a horrendous reach, Edvinsson was way to high because of scouching videos. This isnt directed at you but you would think some of these same people reacting to youtube highlights would get the picture at this point

 

[simonedvinsson]

It's not totally different but definitely improved. Edvinsson is skating with the puck much more than last season where we only saw glimpses of that potential. He's carrying it like an 80's puck rusher and making plays along the halfwall and behind the net with much more regularity. In addition to this his passing has been much, much more crisp. Just look at the difference from his play at the WJC18's to the beginning of this season. The fundamentals of his game have really become sharper.

The player we're seeing in the SHL this season is very much a logical progression of the guy we saw in Swedish juniors, where he was making those puck rushes, playing off the half wall, running the powerplay, etc. He had one very rough game against Team Canada at the WJC18s but otherwise looked great. Perhaps that one game is what scared off the internet scouts.

Anyway, I was pretty high on him especially as the year went on. Not to toot my own horn or anything. Toot toot. He hasn't stepped foot on NHL ice yet, but I had him second on my board going into the draft and am still shocked he was available at sixth.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

The player we're seeing in the SHL this season is very much a logical progression of the guy we saw in Swedish juniors, where he was making those puck rushes, playing off the half wall, running the powerplay, etc. He had one very rough game against Team Canada at the WJC18s but otherwise looked great. Perhaps that one game is what scared off the internet scouts.

Anyway, I was pretty high on him especially as the year went on. Not to toot my own horn or anything. Toot toot. He hasn't stepped foot on NHL ice yet, but I had him second on my board going into the draft and am still shocked he was available at sixth.

I would argue that Edvinsson's logical progression would have been 17ish minutes a night, splitting time between 1st and 2nd pairing in Frolunda and slightly lower offensive numbers. The fact that he's still 18 but 2nd on his team in TOI without powerplay time is nuts to me. He hasn't just been one of the best rookie defensemen in the SHL. He's been one of the best defensemen in the SHL overall.

I actually thought Edvinsson played a pretty good tournament at the WJC18's, even the game against Canada. I had him at #8 on my personal draft board and said that if Simon were able to improve on his perceived weaknesses he could be a top 4 pick in just about any draft year. My hopeful picks for Detroit were Eklund, McTavish and Svechkov. I still think all 3 will be terrific players at the NHL level but like I said elsewhere, I'm happy I was wrong about Edvinsson.

 

[MBH]

People talking about him as a steal?
He's almost exactly as advertised.
Does wonderful things with his size and speed. Sometimes shows a great pass.
But there are more fine-skill elements missing from his game.

 

[ricky0034]

I watched him at those u18s an came away from that tournament wanting the wings to draft him more if anything. That team was a mess but he was regularly the only one that showed much at all and looked like he even cared. A lot of NHL scouts agreed with that obviously. I'm not saying it was horrible to have a wait and see approach on the pick at 6, but there were a lot of people that were adamantly against it all the way down at 6 eating crow and acting like this was some outrageous development to save some face. Plenty of people saw this level of play potential (even if its a year sooner than thought or whatever) for him.

I didnt really see his passing as a major issue. That was seen as an issue by people who watched youtube videos that highlighted that aspect of his game getting nitpicky. I know this isnt only a wings board issue but its been pretty clear over there draft after draft that the overreactions are outrageous. Larkin got called Helm with hands and half the board had a meltdown, Bertuzzi coulda been signed as an UDFA, Seider was a horrendous reach, Edvinsson was way to high because of scouching videos. This isnt directed at you but you would think some of these same people reacting to youtube highlights would get the picture at this point

eh that wasn't some random internet scout that said that though, that's literally a quote from the Wings scouting director

 

[newfy]

eh that wasn't some random internet scout that said that though, that's literally a quote from the Wings scouting director

Yep and instead of people taking it as a rough style comparison that wings fans would know because Helm played for the team, they got their pitch forks out because they figured the wings were aiming to draft Helm type 3rd or 4th liners in the first round. Helm with hands isnt actually a bad comparison for Larkin anyways to be honest

Now some internet scouts say that Edvinsson cant pass the puck based on youtube highlights and a bunch of people run with it being a bad pick because of that, despite the fact that he was ranked top 3 all year. Some people will just never learn