The Detroit Red Wings went with what they know so well in making their first pick in the 2021 NHL draft: A Swedish defenseman.
Sticking to selecting the player they deemed the best one available at No. 6, the Wings picked Simon Edvinsson, a 6-foot-4, 198-pound elite two-way defender who shoots left. He joins what under Yzerman has become an impressive stable of defense prospects next to 2019 first-round pick Moritz Seider.
Edvinsson, 18, split the 2020-21 season between Vasteras IK (five points in 14 games) in Sweden’s second-tier league and Frolunda (one point in 10 games) in the Swedish Hockey League.