Red Wings Feel Edvinsson’s Absence in Tight Loss to Wild
The Detroit Red Wings came up just short in a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild, and they did so without a key piece of their blue line. Simon Edvinsson, one half of Detroit’s top defensive pairing, was a late scratch after tweaking something during warmups-an unexpected blow to a team already juggling lineup decisions.
Head coach Todd McLellan shed some light after the game, noting that Edvinsson was already questionable coming out of the Toronto matchup the night before. “Having today off, tomorrow off will certainly help,” McLellan said, suggesting the injury isn’t expected to be long-term. That’s a sigh of relief for a Red Wings squad that can’t afford to lose stability on the back end.
A Last-Minute Shuffle
The original plan was to give Axel Sandin-Pellikka a night off, but with Edvinsson sidelined, the 19-year-old Swede was thrust back into action. He skated alongside Travis Hamonic on the second pair, logging his 52nd consecutive game-an impressive streak for a rookie still finding his footing at the NHL level. That kind of durability, especially for a young defenseman, speaks volumes about his conditioning and the trust the coaching staff has in him.
With Edvinsson out, Detroit leaned on Ben Chiarot and Jacob Bernard-Docker to pick up top-pair minutes alongside Moritz Seider. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but the makeshift pair held their own against a Wild team that brought plenty of pressure.
Olympic Implications Looming
Beyond the immediate impact on the Red Wings' lineup, Edvinsson’s injury comes at a particularly inopportune time. He’s recently emerged as a potential replacement for Sweden’s Olympic roster, which has been hit hard by injuries-including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who left the Red Wings-Maple Leafs game with an undisclosed issue.
Edvinsson had already been considered a snub from the initial Olympic roster, but with Sweden’s depth being tested, he’s very much in the conversation. Whether this minor setback affects those chances remains to be seen, but the hope is that it’s nothing more than a short-term issue.
For now, Detroit will keep a close eye on his recovery. And if the team’s defensive depth is going to be tested again, young players like Sandin-Pellikka will need to continue stepping up under pressure.