A day after Elmer Soderblom made the Red Wings' roster, Derek Lalonde tapped the breaks on the 6'8 forward making his NHL debut Friday night -- or being on the Opening Night roster at all. But it sounds like Soderblom has the green light.
Because a day after Lalonde said it might be in Soderblom's "best interests" to start the season in Grand Rapids where he can play a prominent role in the American League, he told the Stoney & Jansen Show Wednesday, "I foresee him being in the lineup Friday and hopefully making an impact."
Soderblom skated on the Red Wings' third line and second power play unit at Tuesday's practice ahead of Friday's season-opener against the Canadiens. A sixth-round pick in 2019 who scored 21 goals last season in the Swedish Hockey League, he made a fast impression on Lalonde in training camp and exhibition games.
"My first viewing of him was in Traverse City and it’s tough not to get excited, Lalonde said. "Obviously his size, but his skillset with his size. His ability to make plays in tight areas, it’s very exciting. We’re going to be patent with him in some areas of his game, but it’s been exciting so far watching Elmer."
Along with Steve Yzerman, Lalonde just wants to be sure Soderblom, 21, has a role in Detroit "where he's going to get significant minutes," the coach said Tuesday. Same goes for 22-year-old Joe Veleno, who also made the initial 23-man roster. The last thing the Red Wings want to do is stunt Soderblom's development by keeping him on the bench.
"If he’s only playing 7-8 minutes in a small role, I don’t think that’s healthy for him," Lalonde said.
We'll see how it all plays out in the weeks ahead. On Friday night, anyway, you can count on Soderblom taking the ice at Little Caesars Arena.
Other highlights from Lalonde's interview on 97.1 The Ticket:
On early impressions of Lucas Raymond: "With Lucas, he’s got a real edge to him, and I say that in a good way. Obviously he’s talented and skilled and probably shoots the puck and finishes a little better than I had anticipated or saw from the other bench, but he’s got a huge edge. He’s very competitive, he’s an in-your-face type player, which is very exciting. There’s still details and areas in his game he has to improve, but what he is right now and what he can be is very exciting."
On Detroit's playoff chances in the Eastern Conference: "Last year, 100 points got you into the playoffs, that’s unheard of. You never know what it’s going to look like, but people are excited. We want to make the playoffs, of course. I think that’s a goal of everyone. The fans want it sooner than later and I certainly understand that, but I think it’s more of a credit to where the division and the league is on how tough that’s going to be. Again, if we can control the things we can control, and that’s being a better team defensively, the results will come. And hopefully that starts to take shape and takes care of itself in time."
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker