Niklas Kronwall Making A Big Impact On The Red Wings Youth

Simon Edvinsson has grown quite a bit as a defenseman in the NHL. After two years in Grand Rapids, he has one NHL legend to thank for the wisdom that led to his growth as a player.

Swedish defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Known for his crushing hits in the league, has been a mentor for Edvinsson and has helped to smooth the edges of his game.

He credits Kronwall for his influence in an interview, citing the Red Wings legend, "anonymous defenders are the best defenders".

Edvinsson's been able to continue his growth this postseason, as he's continued to play in this year's IIHF World Championships, where he can put those principles into action.

In Sweden's 6-2 win over Finland, Edvinsson posted 3 points and played 21:38 TOI that day.

You can see in the way he plays, and the budding confidence - it's working!

In his first full NHL season, Edvinsson has had 78 games to put himself in situations to be the best defender he can be.

He's scored a total of 31 points (7 goals, 24 assists) with a +12 on a team that hasn't been defensively sound all year.

Edvinsson's gained a lot of trust from the front office, and coaches are we've seen him play upwards of 24 TOI a night near the end of the year, and the growth we've seen has been immense.