The Detroit Red Wings have had great success mining Sweden for their draft picks, and could for a second straight year use their first selection on a player out of that Nordic hockey powerhouse.
When asked during a video conference Tuesday afternoon which NHL players he admired, top 2021 draft prospect Simon Edvinsson, a defenseman, didn’t hesitate.
“One I really looked up to is of course Nicklas Lidstrom,” Edvinsson said.
The Wings drafted Lidstrom in the third round in 1989, and he went on to help them win four Stanley Cups.
“He’s a legend here in Sweden,” Edvinsson said.