When you're a Swedish defender drafted into the organization that enjoyed the services of Nicklas Lidstrom through 20 seasons and seven Norris Trophies, your role comes with a certain level of expectation.

Is it fair? No. Lidstrom himself needed years of development before evolving into ‘The Perfect Human.’ In 1988, he was even passed over in his first year of draft eligibility. The next year, 52 players were selected before Red Wings GM Jim Devellano snapped up his future franchise cornerstone in the third round.

It took two more years before Lidstrom made the jump from Sweden to the Motor City. He was 27 by the time he won the first of his four Stanley Cups and 31 when he won his first Norris.

By comparison, Simon Edvinsson’s pro journey has unfolded at breakneck speed in an organization that has historically been known for allowing its prospects to overripen. At 23, the 6-foot-6 native of Kungsbacka has already completed his second full NHL season and cemented his spot on Detroit’s top defense pairing alongside Moritz Seider.

That’s a prodigious development curve for a big blueliner, and this season, Edvinsson took those steps while dealing with a right-knee issue that required a pair of surgeries.

“No one plays 100 percent out there,” he said with a shrug at season’s end. “I’m going to work even harder this summer to really get my body and everything as good as I can get it.”

After winning a bronze medal with the Tre Kronor in his debut with the senior national team at the 2025 World Championship, Edvinsson was in a great headspace before learning that he’d be going under the knife ahead of the start of the campaign.

“I felt really good coming into the season,” he said. “Starting off with a surgery, it’s not easy.”

Edvinsson made it back in time for Detroit’s two final pre-season games, then picked up where he left off as a big-minute, multi-faceted two-way defender and key penalty-killer.

For Edvinsson and his team, the year started well. The Wings went 8-4-0 in October, and by mid-December, they were holding down top spot in the tough Atlantic Division.

But in late January, Edvinsson’s knee took another knock. This time, he couldn’t play through it – more surgery was required. During the seven games he missed before the Olympics, Detroit went 2-3-2.

When the NHL schedule resumed in late February, Edvinsson willed himself to help his team push for its first playoff spot in 10 years.

“I tried to fight my way back, both mentally and physically, in a short time,” he said. “Since the Olympic break, not 100 percent, but nobody plays 100 percent. It’s something I had to deal with.”

With a record of 8-12-4 down the stretch, the Red Wings finished with 92 points – their best regular-season showing in a decade. But that 10th playoff miss in as many years left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths.

“It’s the worst feeling you have not to go into the playoffs,” Edvinsson said. “And you’re so close. Everybody works so hard. We really need to figure that out.”

With each passing year, the young core GM Steve Yzerman has been assembling since his return to Hockeytown in 2019 has been putting down roots as the nucleus of the Red Wings’ roster. Lucas Raymond, a 2020 first-rounder, is establishing himself as a clutch scorer. Meanwhile, Seider and Edvinsson have quickly become one of the NHL’s elite defense pairs.

Seider, who’s big and strong on both sides of the puck and has razor-sharp hockey sense, has bulldozed his way into a crowded Norris Trophy field after collecting the Calder in 2022. Edvinsson, who’s four inches taller and a dozen pounds heavier at 222, profiles as the shutdown presence on the left side.

The pair gelled immediately.

“Even last year, we built that connection when it comes to playing together,” Edvinsson said. “For me to come in and find my game next to him, it’s been pretty easy. It’s been good for my growth – to watch him play and, honestly, learn from him as well.”

Look a little deeper, and Edvinsson’s offensive game also teases upside. Despite almost no PP time, he potted nine goals last season, including two game-winners. Over the past two years, his 53 even-strength points are just one shy of Seider’s 54 – in 14 fewer games.

As July approached, Edvinsson and the Wings continued to negotiate a new contract coming off his entry-level deal. It’s clear, however, the team views him as a key member of the future core. There were reports that Detroit balked when Vancouver insisted on Edvinsson as part of the return in a trade for Quinn Hughes last winter.

Will Edvinsson reach Lidstrom’s rarefied heights as his game matures? That’s a tough ask. But the Red Wings have something special if he can just keep being Simon Edvinsson.

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This feature appeared in The Hockey News' Champions 2026 with Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal on the cover. 

This edition features several stories on championship-winning teams from around the world and at different levels, ranging from the NHL to the Memorial Cup, the NCAA, and more. It also features in-depth looks at players from each NHL team who could break out in the 2026-27 season.