Sometimes, you have to play the kids.
Much of that seems to be happening with the Detroit Red Wings this season. It’s happening in the forward ranks with Jonatan Berggren and Marco Kasper, but it’s also happening on the back end with Simon Edvinsson.
Last night, Edvinsson played the hero. The 21-year-old defender scored the game-winning goal 1:30 into overtime.
In 22:54 on the ice, he scored one goal on four shots. Additionally, he added three blocks and was named the game’s first star.
Edvinsson has been fantastic this season. With last night’s goal, he now has six points in 15 games. He’s averaged a career-high 21:02 per game, ranking him second behind defensive stalwart Moritz Seider.
Last year, Edvinsson only played 16 games. Despite playing more games, he’s already exceeded last year’s total time on ice. The young Swede has played 315:34 compared to 292:05 from last year.
In addition to the offense, he has contributed tremendously on the defensive side of the puck. Edvinsson is averaging 2:14 on the penalty kill per game. The only defenseman who plays more is Seider.
Seider and Edvinsson have spent the majority of their time together. The 21-year-old’s most common defense partners have been Seider (68.8%), Justin Holl (13.8%), and Jeff Petry (4.4%).
He and Seider have been heavily relied upon to face elite competition. Edvinsson plays 52.4 percent of his even-strength ice time against other teams’ top players.
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