Red Wings send former first-round pick to AHL

The Detroit Red Wings have announced that defenseman Simon Edvinsson has been sent back down to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Whereas Edvinsson had been sent down earlier in a paper transaction, this move appears to be more lasting as it comes just as veteran blueliners Jeff Petry and Olli Määttä return to the Red Wings’ lineup.

The sixth overall pick at the 2021 draft, Edvinsson will return to a Grand Rapids team that he has starred for so far this season. In 25 games there he has scored six goals and 16 points, and he has paired that strong offensive production with refinements to his defensive game.

At the NHL level, Edvinsson played a sheltered role as the Red Wings sought to ease him into his first NHL games. He recorded his first point in last night’s loss to the Minnesota Wild, and could very well end up back in Detroit as the team’s first call-up whenever injury trouble strikes again, or if the Red Wings elect to move on from one of their established defensemen.

While there are likely Red Wings fans who would like to see Edvinsson remain in the NHL at the cost of regular ice time to a player like Määttä or Petry, it’s hardly a developmental setback for Edvinsson to play a heavy dose of minutes for a well-established AHL franchise.