As far as breakout campaigns go, the Detroit Red Wings didn't have as many as they've had in previous years. Sure, you could make a case for Alex DeBrincat, who hit career highs in points. You could even point to Emmitt Finnie's rookie year and say that was breakout-worthy.
But, truth be told, the Red Wings haven't had a year as exciting as the year Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond took the reins and ran with it.
Still, that doesn't mean Detroit isn't without its fair share of budding stars. Simon Edvinsson, who played 72 games this season, had an outstanding year. The Swedish defenseman followed up a promising freshman campaign with a sophomore breakout that should see him earn even more ice time in the future. There were, of course, a few wrinkles along the way, but, for the most part, Edvinsson excelled in his role.
How Simon Edvinsson exploded in 2025-26
When paired with Moritz Seider, the German defenseman and Edvinsson made up one of the most impressive shutdown pairings in the NHL. The duo ranked third in total ice time together while also remaining top-five in fewest goals against. To put it in simpler terms, the Edvinsson-Seider pairing quite literally carried the Red Wings' defensive corps.
This was Edvinsson's most productive season on the goal-scoring end, as well. While he didn't reach his career high points from 2024-25 (31), his 25 points this season were third among all Red Wings defensemen this last season. His 94 hits were third among defensemen behind Moritz Seider (128) and Ben Chiarot (170).
Yet, despite this, Edvinsson is still one of the rawest talents on the roster.
Edvinsson still has room to grow
Now, to be fair, Edvinsson suffered not one, but two knee injuries this season -- one at the start and one before the Olympic break. By the end of the 2025-26 season, it was clear he still hadn't fully recovered from his injury. The good news is that he's got all offseason to heal.
The bad news is that the injury exposed a few flaws to his game.
Edvinsson is the type of defenseman who takes risks. At times, this can result in a key takeaway and a subsequent breakaway goal by a winger like DeBrincat. At other times, though, it can leave Seider or the rest of the team hung out to dry. His mistakes are much less glaring than some of his other teammates, but, when the team depends on the Seider-Edvinsson pairing, those mistakes become magnified.
At 23 years of age, Edvinsson still has plenty of time to blossom into a legitimate top defenseman. Next season, he's up for an extension. Per The Detroit News, Edvinsson is hoping for an extension closer to Seider's salary -- around $8.55M per season.
Whether he gets that number or not will depend entirely on his performance next season. For now, though, the sky's the limit for Simon Edvinsson.
Grade: B+
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