2021 NHL DRAFT - SCOUTING REPORT
SIMON EDVINSSON, LD
FROLUNDA, SHL
Pro Hockey Focus Rank :
#11
BORN
Onsala, SWE
DATE OF BIRTH
Feb. 5th, 2003
HEIGHT
6'5"
WEIGHT
207 lbs
GRADE
7.24
TOP PAIRING D-MAN
2021 NHL DRAFT
UNDRAFTED
Simon Edvinsson had one of the worst performances in a 12 to 1 loss to Canada at the U18 Tournament from a “Top-5 rated” prospect that I can recall. He had just a brutal outing and looked terrible – as did the rest of his team. He did however manage to bounce back significantly and progressively got better as the tournament went on. With this player, I could see there being two camps : (1) you like everything that Edvinsson does really well – skating – puck control – puck distribution – solid offensive instincts – good outlet pass and you feel he is just at the very beginning of his development curve or (2) you see everything he does well but some of the basic issues he has with positioning – reads and decision making are certainly a concern. He certainly isn’t the first highly ranked defenseman that’s come along to have some concerns with his defensive game but he’s a long way away from where he needs to be. He’s going to need to develop a lot in that facet of the game. In the end, I think that Simon Edvinsson will continue to progress in the SHL for a few more years and then potentially spend another year or two in AHL before making his mark in the NHL.
STRENGTHS
- Great size and long reach
- Excellent puck control even at high speed
- Dangerous with the puck off the rush
- Has the ability to get his shot through
- Skating ability with the puck for a player his size is impressive
- Distributes the puck well on the PP
- Uses his size well to gain positioning advantage in front of the net
- Can play a physical brand of hockey when required though isn’t a physical d-man by trait
- Makes a good outlet pass out of the zone
- Has the skillset to be a factor offensively
IN-PROGRESS
- Decision making is still very much a work in progress – will require more pro experience before making the jump
- Positioning is still raw and will require improvement
- Making the right read – he’ll improve with more experience
DRAFT PROJECTION : 1st Round (Top 20)
NHL READY : 2023-24
I think there is no better comparable for Simon Edvinsson than Jay Bouwmester. Both incredible skaters with great size that have the ability to handle the puck and make things happen offensively. At the same time, both players with question marks on the defensive side of the ice. I think that people may tend to forget the struggles that ‘Jay-Bo’ went through with the Florida Panthers. It was more towards the back-half of his career that he could be counted upon more in a defensive capacity. That’s who Edvinsson reminds me of so much as a draft eligible prospect. I see Edvinsson having the same development path and it could potentially cause him to drop on Draft Day unless there’s a team out there that just loves him and jumps on him early.
Simon Edvinsson, Defense
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
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2020-21 Frolunda HC SweHL 10 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
2020-21 Vasteras IK Swe-1 14 0 5 5 0
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