Simon Edvinsson has found himself in this situation several times during his young NHL career, and it’s clear the novelty has worn off.
Last month, after another disappointing season for the Detroit Red Wings came to a close, Edvinsson—the team’s talented young defenseman—stood at the podium explaining what went wrong. He addressed why the Wings missed the playoffs for the 10th straight year and why they collapsed again in March and April.
Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson recorded 25 points, including nine goals, in 72 games last season.
Edvinsson offered his analysis, but frustration was evident. He stressed repeatedly that it was time for the Wings to secure a playoff berth.
“No one wants to be here,” Edvinsson said of the post-season debrief. “I think everyone is done with this. It’s the worst feeling—not making the playoffs when you know you’re this close. Everyone works hard, but we still can’t get it done. We really need to figure it out.”
What made this season’s elimination on the final full weekend of the regular season especially painful was how well things had gone for most of the year. The Wings challenged for the best record in the Eastern Conference for a significant stretch and sat comfortably in a playoff spot as late as January and February. Confidence across the roster was growing.
But injuries began to pile up, scoring became a challenge, and while other teams elevated their performance as the playoffs approached, the Wings went in the opposite direction and stumbled.
“I know everyone really wanted to make the playoffs and have a run,” Edvinsson said. “But we’re not there, and we need to find something in our group, something in the organization, something within the team to get us past that step.”
Edvinsson believes playing a tougher brand of hockey around the net would help the Wings. He pointed to Pittsburgh and Florida as examples of teams that make life difficult for opponents.
“With Pittsburgh, you can see and feel it on the ice,” Edvinsson said. “They’re very hard to play against. They crash the net every time, they hit you even after you pass the puck. That’s a championship mentality. They get a piece of you every shift, wear you down slowly. That’s something our team could use more. That’s where all the goals come from—not pretty ones, but gritty goals where you send the puck to the net and just crash into the paint. I think we can have more of that.”
If—or when—the Wings take that next step, Edvinsson will likely be a key reason why.
Now 23, Edvinsson continued his development, forming one of the NHL’s top defensive duos alongside Moritz Seider. He did so while overcoming two knee surgeries. The first sidelined him through training camp, while the second occurred before the Olympic break, limiting the number of games he missed.
Still, Edvinsson played in 72 games, missing only 10. He scored a career-high nine goals and totaled 25 points, averaging a massive 22 minutes and 21 seconds of ice time per game. The Edvinsson-Seider pairing ranked third in the NHL in ice time and finished in the top five for fewest goals against.
Edvinsson is thrilled to play alongside Seider, who has evolved into one of the league’s best.
“He’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL, probably in the top five or three,” Edvinsson said. “The way he played this year—he’s always been strong on both offense and defense. For me, to come in and find my game next to him has been huge.”