Profile
After analyzing two forward prospects, we will examine a defenseman for the first time in this series. Specifically, six-foot-five, 207 pound Simon Edvinsson. The Swedish defenseman is a left-handed shot. He is 18-years old with a February birth-month. He has played his whole junior career in the Swedish junior system, spending most of it with Frölunda HC. In the final 2021 Prospect Rankings, he ranked second among European skaters.
The Statistics
At the age of 13, Edvinsson began his junior hockey career with Hoväs HC. He spent time as an extreme under-ager in both the under-16 and under-18 Division 1 and Elite leagues. His offensive production during this time was fine, nothing spectacular, but nothing alarming either. He was roughly between a 0.75 and 1.00 point-per-game player during this time.
Most recently, he split this season between the J20 Nationell, SHL, and HockeyAllsvenskan leagues. He tallied six points in 14 J20 Nationell games and one assist in 10 SHL games with Frölunda HC before being loaned to Västeräs IK to play in the HockeyAllsvenskan. This league is the second-highest professional league in Sweden (think of the AHL in the United States), Edvinsson tallied five assists in 15 games.
Edvinsson also played seven games during the 2018 World Junior Championships playing seven games and tallying four points. Overall, his offensive output has been okay. It is tough to judge a defenseman, especially one who will be more defensive-oriented, on his junior output.
The Scouting Report
Strengths:
At six-foot-five, Edvinsson’s skating ability is top-notch. He has all that you can want that relates to skating ability. The speed, agility and the edgework, the list goes on. This skating ability is what he revolves his game around.
Edvinsson’s defensive toolkit is desirable if developed correctly at the next level. He has the skating, the reach, the physical build, and the ability to carry the puck out of the zone on his own. Although raw, the tools are certainly there defensively.
He has really good hands for a six-foot-five defenseman. As mentioned above, his puck carrying skill is very strong. If he can refine his decision-making and passing, he can become a very, very dangerous player in all facets of transition, not just defensively.
Weaknesses:
The main knocks on Edvinsson is his decision-making and his shot. His inconsistencies in decision-making is what would hold him back from being a top-pairing defenseman at the next level. Too often did he make just mind-boggling decisions with the puck that resulted in multiple turnovers. At times, he almost seemed to panic the puck which led to poor decisions.
For his size, his shot also needs to improve. There is not much power with it, and he has to be a bit smarter with getting higher quality ones through to the net. Hopefully, as he continues to get stronger the shot will improve and so will his overall offensive ability.
Overall, Edvinsson is just a really raw prospect. As mentioned several times, he has the tools to be an extremely solid player at the next level. He needs to go to a system that excels in prospect development and continue to improve in the SHL.
Projection
Edvinsson is your textbook high ceiling, lower floor prospect. If he is coached up correctly he has all the makings to be a top-pairing, two-way, puck-moving defenseman. If he doesn’t? Well, to be honest who knows. Regardless, he should be able to mold into a defensive-reliant player. And even if he does not iron out those inconsistencies completely and fully put together his toolkit, he should still be able to serve as a valuable defensive-first defenseman.
The consensus on Edvinsson is all over the place. It seems people either love him as a prospect or hate him as a prospect. Personally, I am somewhere in between. It seems he should be a later top-10 prospect. As crazy as it seems some have him in the top-five. I think that is not only a stretch but would be a mistake given the risk associated with him.
In the end, the back end of the top-10 seems like the soft spot. Maybe even right outside the top-10 if teams are a bit scared off by the low-floor.
Fit with The New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are definitely in need of a defenseman, and one that has the defensive potential as Edvinsson should intrigue general manager Tom Fitzgerald. However, at four, the risk associated with him not reaching a respectable level in his development should deter New Jersey. And, let’s face it, the player development showcased by the Devils the past number of years has not been worldly. Now, has that improved? Surely, but it is fair to be a bit weary.
In the end, there should be better options, especially on defense, for the Devils at four. Additionally, there will be some forwards worth investigating in lieu of Edvinsson as well. It is a pass from me.
James’ Prospect Rankings
- Fabian Lysell (6/4/2021)
- Simon Edvinsson (Today)
- Aatu Räty (6/2/2021)