When discussing the future of the Red Wings team, especially in the coming year, it is crucial to note the organization’s exceptional outlook. Detroit Red Wings prospect Elmer Söderblom tore the SHL apart while playing for Frölunda HC, the same team Lucas Raymond played for until the 2021-22 season.

Detroit selected Söderblom in the 6th round of the 2019 NHL Draft, 159th overall. It’s not every day that a 6th round pick is in the running to make the league, but Soderblom is an exception.

Elmer Söderblom is a 6’8″, 238 pound left-handed winger from Gothenburg, Sweden. He has spent the last eight seasons in the Frölunda HC organization in various academy teams (U16, J18, J20) and now plays in the SHL Frölunda HC Team In addition to his career at Frölunda, Söderblom played in the Sweden International Junior Team and the Sweden World Junior Team.

So far in the 2021-22 season, Elmer Söderblom has turned heads as he registered 17 goals and seven assists in just 38 games. He has had some impressive seasons in the past like his 2019-20 season in Frölunda HC J20 team in which he scored 29 goals and 26 assists in 36 matches.

Söderblom is a big guy on the ice – there’s no doubt about it – but he’s a big guy who has deft hands and can not only move the puck, but also shoot it. It’s rare to have a player of his stature who is good at handling the puck, who can hit hits and who can put up points. It hasn’t been talked about a ton before the draft, but in the seasons since the 2019 NHL Draft, there’s been someone worth talking about to the point where a question has been raised – could he potentially make the cut for the Detroit Red Wings next season?

As the Yzerplan continues to unfold, more young players appear in the roster, including Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Going from an older team to a younger team puts the Red Wings back on track to be better Stanley Cup contenders, so where does Söderblom fit into that plan?

Elmer Söderblom is 20 years old and could bring some interesting things to Detroit, like the style of play he has for being such a big guy. He’s not an overly physical player, but rather a skilled attacker who uses big shots tactically in addition to shooting on goal. This style of play could benefit the Red Wings offense complementing faster skaters with similar puck-handling and goal-scoring abilities, like Raymond, Larkin, Vrana and Bertuzzi. Additionally, a player like Söderblom can work in tandem with an attacking defender like Moritz Seider to capitalize on getting those skillful shots in games.

In my opinion, I think there is a good chance that we will see Elmer Söderblom wearing the winged wheel next season, if not the one after that. Building that core of young players with different styles of play but the common themes of puck handling and game acumen is a call for a player like Söderblom to have a shot in the league.

The Swedish Hockey League is one of the most competitive European leagues, so this is proof that Söderblom can withstand a high level of play and perform incredibly well under these circumstances. Alongside Söderblom, another Swedish prospect, Simon Edvinsson, also has strong potential to take the championship by storm over the next two seasons.

One thing is certain, Yzerplan and the Red Wings seem to have taken a liking to Swedish players.