'Poised' Simon Edvinsson impressing Red Wings in variety of ways

DETROIT — You really have to go to Patrick Kane, whose nickname "Showtime" pretty much says it all in terms of his ability to amplify the emotion on the ice after a goal, both home or away.

So to hear Kane give credit to young defenseman Simon Edvinsson on his celebration after his first goal of the season Saturday in Toronto, you know Edvinsson passed the "celly" test.

"I was there with him and he wasn't looking at me. He was looking somewhere in the sky or the crowd," Kane said with a smile, alluding to Edvinsson's long arms outstretched, stirring the pot and the disappointment of Leafs fans.

Kane loved to see the emotion from the impressive 6-foot-6 Edvinsson, who has made a huge impact since being recalled March 19.

"It's cool. You score a goal in this league and it's fun to see the emotion, fire and passion, and guys stepping up big time," Kane said. "He's a big, strong guy who can kill plays or make plays, and he's gotten better as the time has gone along."

Edvinsson has a goal and assist in 14 games ths season, after a dominant performance in minor league affiliate Grand Rapids.

The former 2021 first-round draft pick (sixth overall) has shown there is no need for any further seasoning in the AHL.

Recalled after Jake Walman suffered a lower-body injury, Edvinsson has displayed all the strengths he displayed in the minor leagues and has impressed coach Derek Lalonde and the Wings' veterans in various ways.

"How poised he is," defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said of what's been impressive about Edvinsson. "I saw a bit of him in preseason but as a kid coming up and playing heavy minutes like he is, and the way he's playing, he's leading our back end pretty good. (But) the poise, he's so good for a big man and, for him, he's only going to get better."

Edvinsson has stepped into a top-four role on defense, playing alongside Jeff Petry, and looked as if he's been in the Wings' lineup all season. The Wings haven't tried to shield or hide Edvinsson from any situation, and the 21-year-old has thrived.

"His play has been a huge bright spot," Lalonde said. "We've talked about the importance of these meaningful games so late in the season and especially for someone like that, who just joined us post (trade) deadline, it's huge for him. We've asked a lot of him and we've played him against top-six opponents, especially in Toronto. That's a different animal, top-six, and he's handled himself extremely well."

The Walman injury made it easier to slide Edvinsson into a larger role, but Edvinsson also has shown he's deserving of that type of responsbility.

"He's solidified himself there, surpassed expectations," Lalonde said. "The play with the puck and poise is there, but I give him a lot of credit for the way he's defending."

On occasion a young player called up late in the season can provide a spark for a team battling to get into the playoffs. Kane remembers how in 2015, as his Chicago Blackhawks were competing for a Stanley Cup, Tampa forward Jonathan Drouin (now with Colorado) was called up and sparked the Lightning in the playoffs.

"He was just flying around," Kane said. "You get a young guy with a lot of energy who is trying to prove himself and trying to make his way into the league too, sometimes these young guys come in and have so much energy and fire and they might be a step above the guys who are worn down.

"He (Edvinsson) has been playing great for us."

Lyon starts

Lalonde gave Monday's start to goaltender Alex Lyon, after playing James Reimer Saturday in Toronto.

Lyon has been the Wings' starter for most of the second half of the season, but the workload seemed to get to Lyon in Thursday's overtime loss in Pittsburgh.

Reimer started and won Saturday in his 500th career game.

"We kind of wanted to see how things played out the other day," Lalonde said of his decision to go back to Lyon. "Alex has shown to respond pretty well with a little reset, and those resets have been James Reimer starts. So it'll be Alex Lyon tonight, and we'll go from there."

The Wings, incidentally, recalled goaltender Ville Husso Monday from Grand Rapids. Husso was supposed to get a conditioning start Friday with the Griffins, but reinjured himself in pregame warm-ups.

Ice chips

Lalonde said forward Andrew Copp will go through warm-ups Monday and a determination will be made whether Copp will play. Copp has missed the last two games with a broken cheekbone.

"He's still not completely comfortable," Lalonde said. "He's still dealing with swelling, but he's going to take warm-ups and we'll get a feel from there."

… Forward David Perron said it's been fun to see fans keep the energy flowing after the Lions' season ended, with chants and all sort of excitement.

"We were proud of what the Lions did and it was fun to be part of that," Perron said. "The fans (at Little Caesars Arena) have been a big part of this, every win and after every big play."

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