Crucial Final Decisions Made in Detroit Red Wings Roster to Start the Season

Where does Söderblom fit on the roster for a team that scored 28 goals less than the league average for the 2021-22 NHL season? Which other players were notable additions and omissions to keep an eye on this season?

What Elmer Söderblom Brings to the Red Wings

The 21-year-old behemoth from Göteborg, Sweden used his size and skill to impress the Red Wings’ brass throughout the team’s preseason. This was on display as Söderblom used his soft hands to backhand a shot over the shoulder of Toronto Maple Leaf’s goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Söderblom’s ability to drive the net and finish at 6’8” is rare in the NHL, to say the least. This was not the first time that Söderblom displayed these kinds of puck skills.

Of course expectations need to be realistic. While Yzerman drafted Moritz Seider seemingly out of nowhere, and that Seider won the Calder Trophy for the 2021-22 NHL season should not set the expectations for Söderblom. Holding his own will be a perfectly reasonable outcome for the 2022-23 NHL season.

Söderblom will play on the bottom six of the Red Wings’ forwards. This is not surprising for a player coming into his rookie season. He cannot be expected to play in a role where he has more defensive responsibilities on the team at only 21 years old. If he matches up with the bottom six on the other team’s roster, he certainly has the skill to be a difficult player to defend in the offensive zone.

Winging it in Motown theorized that Söderblom will play on a line with Michael Rasmussen and Oskar Sundqvist.

A Line Featuring Söderblom, Rasmussen, and Sundqvist

Sundqvist was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in March of last season along with defenseman Jake Walman and a third-round draft pick in exchange for defensemen Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski. Sundqvist scored 8 goals and added 15 assists in 59 games played between the two teams during the 2021-22 season. Rasmussen made the move from center to winger last season and saw his play improve. It remains to be seen whether or not new head coach Derek Lalonde will play Rasmussen at the wing or at center.

Bulked-up Joe Veleno

Joe Veleno is another forward that will be on the Red Wings roster to start the season. The center is going into his third season with the Red Wings. While Söderblom was drafted in the sixth round of the NHL draft in 2019, Veleno was a first-round draft pick. The expectations are higher for Veleno, whether this is right or wrong. One year after he bulked up during the offseason, he is lighter and faster during the 2022 preseason. He played in his first full season with the Red Wings during the 2021-22 season.

Edvinsson to Start in Grand Rapids

While Söderblom has made the Red Wings opening night roster, defenseman Simon Edvinsson was cut from the Red Wings roster the day before the Monday deadline. Edvinsson struggled during training camp with turnovers was one of the main reasons for this. He also was seen as not using his size to be “hard on the puck” at times during the preseason. That is not to say that he will never make the Red Wings roster.

Edvinsson starting the season in the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins may be a blessing in disguise. This will allow the 19-year-old to get more playing time. If it happens to work out that Edvinsson dominates the AHL and the Red Wings have no choice but to bring him up to the “big club”, the experience of playing professional hockey will be invaluable.

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