It started out as a dream come true for Noah Dower-Nilsson.

Getting drafted in the third round by the Detroit Red Wings came with a chance to play with his brother Liam this winter.

Instead, his career has been put on hold due to injury.

The post 2023 Red Wings Draft Update: Injury Puts Dower-Nilsson On Hold (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Noah Dower Nilsson began the 2023-24 hockey season on the shelf, recovering from shoulder surgery. Then in late November, he was once again suiting up with Frolunda of the SHL. However, his usage for the most part was sparingly.

It looked like he’d be getting the opportunity to play more . . . and to once again play alongside his brother, fellow Detroit draftee Liam Dower Nilsson. Frolunda was loaning Dower Nilsson to Bjorkloven.

The loan was to cover the remainder of the season. Bjorkloven plays in Hockey Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second division. He is subject to recall by Frolunda is Dower Nilsson is needed again in the SHL this season. He’s accounted for 1-1-2 totals in for games for Frolunda since returning from his injury.

Noah saw his first game action with Bjorkloven earlier this week. Unfortunately, it ended badly for him. Tumbling into the boards, he was suffering another shoulder surgery, Apparently, this time, it was to the shoulder that wasn’t surgically repaired. He returned to Frolunda for further examination.

Poor Noah Dower-Nilsson was injured in his debut for Björklöven and has returned to Gothenburg for examinations. It has been said it isn't the shoulder he had surgery on that is the issue. He fell and hit the boards hard and went off.

Talk about bad luck.#LGRW

— Lars Thorsell (@LarsThorsell) January 18, 2024

Older brother Liam, 20, like Noah formerly with Frolunda, is showing 10-8-18 numbers from 36 games for Bjorkloven.

“I feel I have a more offensive mindset and game to show,” Liam said as to why he was opting to drop down to Division II this season.

The younger Dower Nilsson, 18, was Detroit’s 73rd overall selection in the 2023 NHL entry draft. The siblings have brief previous stints as teammates.

Red Wings Picks Reunited

“We played a couple games in juniors together and the last season we played – when Noah played his first SHL game, I was loaned to Vasteras, but then I got loaned back to Frolunda,” Liam explained.

Noah’s first SHL shift was on a line with Liam. “It was pretty cool,” Noah recalled. “It’s fun to be out there. It was a little bit nervous but it was fun.”

Liam Dower Nilsson was chosen 134th overall  by the Red Wings in the 2021 NHL entry draft. He was in Nashville last summer when Detroit would also select his brother.

That’s one proud big brother. pic.twitter.com/0Nxv5nTcHC

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 29, 2023

“It was unbelievable,” Liam said of draft day. “Never really dared to think that’s going to happen. It was an amazing feeling for me and my dad and grandpa was there, and for Noah.”

Neither Dower Nilsson brother has signed a contract with the Red Wings.

The post Red Wings Picks Dower Nilsson Brothers Briefly Reunited in Sweden appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Shortly after his attendance at the Detroit Red Wings development camp last summer, it was announced that left-winger Noah Dower Nilsson (73rd overall, 2023 NHL entry draft) would be undergoing shoulder surgery.

Not only did that put him on the shelf, it would wind up costing Dower Nilsson any hope of playing for Sweden in the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship.

Noah Dower Nilsson (#44), in his first game since offseason surgery, picks up an assist for his first SHL point #LGRW pic.twitter.com/EXuK539d16

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) December 19, 2023

He made his return to action this week in the SHL and it was a triumphant one. Dower Nilsson dished out an assist – his first-ever SHL point – in a 4-3 overtime victory for Frolunda over Skelleftea.

Sandin Pellikka Viewed As Leader

Defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka (17th overall, 2023) was named as part of the leadership group as Sweden sets out in pursuit of World Junior glory on home ice. He will be serving as an alternate captain for Sweden’s team.

The Red Wings prospect has accounted for nine goals in 25 SHL games this season with Skellefta. Sandin Pellikka has also tallied three times in Champions League play.

“I know he’s playing pretty well, scoring some good goals,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said. “I read all the scouting reports and talk to our staff. I’ve seen a little bit of him on video playing. He’s having a really good year.

“We’re very encouraged by the season, how it’s progressed for him. It looks like he’s a real good prospect. So we’re very encouraged by it.”

Red Wings Pick Niederbach Dents Twine

In a 7-3 loss to Farjestad, Red Wings prospect Theoder Niederbach scored a power-play goal for MoDo. It was just the third goal of the season for the right-winger (51st overall, 2020) in his 25th game of the SHL campaign. Niederbach is also minus-10.

This is the year that Detroit must determine whether to offer Niederbach a contract or let him become a free agent.

Frk In Hot Water

Former Red Wings forward Martin Frk (2017-19) was on the receiving end five-game suspension in the Swiss League after his skate kicked into the neck for Lawrence Pilut during a board battle.

Former NHLer Martin Frk has been suspended five games for his high skate to Lawrence Pilut's neck area.

(via: @mysports_ch) pic.twitter.com/j4INL3ICaU

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 18, 2023

The incident came during a game Sunday between Frk’s Rapperswil-Jona Lakers and Pilut’s Lausanne HC.

Frk clearly is unhappy playing in Switzerland.

“Im not going to lie, I imagined it differently and I’m really struggling with it,” Frk told Czech website iSport.blesk.cz. “I’m not collecting many points, and we’re not doing well as a team in Rapperswil.”

Larsson SHL ROY Contender

Goaltender Filip Larsson was another Red Wings draft pick who didn’t pan out. However, after years of struggle, the former Grand Rapids Griffins goalie appears to be finding his game in the SHL.

Playing for Leksand, Larsson is 9.5 with a 1.97 GAA and .927 ave percentage. He’s being touted as a contender to be SHL rookie of the year.

Of course, another player also strongly in contention for this honor is Sandin Pellikka.

The post Red Wings Prospect Notebook: Dower Nilsson Back; Sandin Pellikka Swedish Leader appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Elmer Soderblom was the surprise story of the 2022 training camp for the Detroit Red Wings. The hulking Swedish forward wound up cracking the club’s roster and scored his first NHL goal in the season-opening win over the Montreal Canadiens.

An injury incurred while blocking a shot ultimately derailed his season. Soberblom wound up spending almost as many games with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins (20) as he did with Detroit (21). Oddly enough, his totals were identical with both clubs – 5-3-8.

Elmer Soderblom does whatever he wants pic.twitter.com/ePKYigatOn

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 18, 2022

Elmer is still trying to show he’s NHL stuff and the same is true for his older brother. A goaltender in the Chicago Blackhawks system, Arvid Soderblom turned pro in 2021. So far, he’s seen action in 18 NHL games for the Blackhawks, including a career-high 15 last season. Like Elmer, Arvid will be heading to training camp looking to make his mark. Also like Elmer, at this point both brothers are looking to be longshots when it comes to starting the season on an NHL roster.

Nill Agrees To Contract Extension

Recently the winner of the NHL GM of the Year award, Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars are in agreement on a contract extension that will be keeping him with the club through 2026.

Nill spent the majority of his NHL days with the Red Wings. He was a Detroit forward from 1988-90. Later, Nill would serve as the club’s assistant GM from 1998-2013. He left to take over as GM of the Stars.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Former Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik wasn’t caught by surprise when Detroit was trading him to the Ottawa Senators in the Alex DeBrincat deal
• Detroit isn’t getting much love from Sportsnet in the network’s NHL power rankings
• There are reports out of Sweden that Red Wings 2023 draft pick Noah Dower Nilsson has undergone shoulder surgery and will miss two months
• Here’s a road map of how Detroit might be able to score its way to 271 goals next season

Red Wings Offseason

Another piece of the Jakub Vrana-Anthony Mantha deal is on the move during this offseason. Forward Richard Panik’s Detroit days lasted just 12 games. He was part of the package going to the New York Islanders in 2021 in the Nick Leddy trade. Last season, Panik played for Lausanne of the Swiss League. The Slovakian-born Panik recently signed with Trinec of the Czech Extraliga.

Hockey Now Network

Colorado: Forecasting next season’s forward lines for the Colorado Avalanche.

Vegas: Evaluating some of the biggest decisions made by the Vegas Golden Knights.

San Jose: NHL scouts offer their assessments of some of the newest members of the San Jose Sharks.

Philadelphia: How might the arbitration ruling between Ilya Samsonov and the Toronto Maple Leafs be impacting the upcoming arbitration hearing between Carter Hart and the Philadelphia Flyers?

Islanders: Here are some ways the New York Islanders might be looking to fix the club’s power play for the 2023-24 NHL season.

Pittsburgh: Here’s a group of players the Pittsburgh Penguins might consider offering pro tryout agreements to, including former Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese.

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Boston: Former Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy of the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights was joining the Murphy’s Law podcast.

Buffalo: Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres earned the rating as the No. 3 NHL goalie prospect in a recent poll.

Florida: Should the Florida Panthers make a run at UFA forward Vladimir Tarasenko?

Montreal: Listing the Montreal Canadiens goaltenders is the stuff of NHL legend, but the club’s current crop of netminders is leaving much to be desired.

The post The Daily: Brother of Red Wings Soderblom Also Seeking to Prove He’s an NHLer; Panthers Looking at Tarasenko? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When the Swedish roster was revealed for the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase, the name of Detroit Red Wings 2023 draftee Noah Dower Nilsson was missing. The reason for his absence is now becoming apparent.

According to a report from Henrik Leman of Rackapucker.com, Dower Nilsson, selected 73rd overall by Detroit, recently underwent shoulder surgery and will be out of action for at least two months.

What a great dish by Noah Dower Nilsson.

David Edstrom with the finish. pic.twitter.com/bj5gZxz4EH

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) April 27, 2023

Dower Nilsson missed the final day of Red Wings development camp while he and his older brother, 2021 Detroit draftee Liam Dower Nilsson (134th overall), were both undergoing upper body imaging.

“Liam and Noah went to get some imaging done on their upper body,” Red Wings director of player development Dan Cleary said at the time. “They just had to get some imaging done. It’s just easier to get it done here so we could see it. You just don’t want anything down the road. That’s all it was.”

Evidently, in Noah’s case, they found something that was causing alarm and ultimately, was rectified via surgery.

Big Season For Red Wings Pick

During the 2022-23 campaign, the younger of the Dower Nilsson brothers got his first taste of playing against men. He saw three games of action with Frolunda in the SHL and made his debut skating alongside his older brother.

“It was pretty cool,” Noah recalled. “It’s fun to be out there. It was a little bit nervous but it was fun.”

Frolunda is in a transition phase in terms of the club roster, and there’s opportunity for Noah, 18, to grab some ice time at forward. That being the case, the shoulder surgery could prove even more problemitic.

While in Detroit, Noah was admitting that he does have shoulder issues that he’s been dealing with for much of last season. He spent some time on the shelf due to a shoulder ailment.

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“Yeah, it was tough,” Noah said. “It was my shoulder. Popped out for the first time. It was tough. Rehab, seven weeks.

“Then I come back and it feels good. Both shoulders are a little bit not so good.”

Apparently, not so good that surgery was required to fix the problem.

The post Report: Noah Dower Nilsson Out Following Shoulder Surgery appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

If Liam and Noah Dower Nilsson go on to gain the level of hockey notoreity attained by the previous brother act drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, they’ll leave quite the legacy.

The 1974 NHL amateur draft, as it was known then, saw Detroit selecting Marquette Iron Rangers forward Jack Carlson 117th overall. The following season, the Wings tabbed his brother Steve Carlson 131st overall from the NAHL’s Johnstown Jets.

Steve would go on to play Steve Hanson, one of the notorious Hanson brothers, in the hockey cult classic Slap Shot. Jack was also supposed to portray a Hanson brother in the film, but a recall to the WHA’s Minnesota Fighting Saints left him unavailable to fill the role.

Vem av bröderna Dower Nilsson är roligast, bäst på att dansa, har bäst betyg? Kolla på videon så får ni svaret

(:@DetroitRedWings) #LGRW pic.twitter.com/93kg5SZefz

— NHL Sverige (@NHLsv) July 8, 2023

Certainly, the Dower Nilsson brothers are unlikely to terrorize hockey in similar fashion. Up-tempo skill is their brand.

“I think we have some same (similarities) the way we play the game but I’m a more offensive winger,” Noah said. “Liam is more a two-way center. I learned a lot from him through this year. We always compete against each other.”

That figures to again be the case in 2023-24. The two did get some ice time together in the SHL last season with Frolunda. This season, while Noah will remain with Frolunda, Liam is joining Bjorkloven of the Allsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish hockey.

Liam Seeking To Show Red Wings What He Can Do

“I’m trying to get a bigger role there and play my game and focus on my things to get better and try to come back to be the player I was in junior,” Liam explained as the reason behind the move. “I feel I have a more offensive mindset and game to show that I haven’t really shown these two years and especially this year.

“It’s going to be good for me.”

Detroit ws selecting Liam 134th overall selection in 2021. That year, the entire NHL entry draft was being conducted via Zoom calls. This year in Nashville, the entire Dower Nilsson family was on hand to share the moment with Noah as he was taken with the 73rd overall pick.

“It was unbelievable,” Liam said. “Never really dared to think that’s going to happen. It was an amazing feeling for me and my dad and grandpa, who was there, and for Noah.”

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Talking to the two brothers, it’s abundantly evident how the bond between the two of them strengthens their resolve to someday skate together as Red Wings.

“It means a lot,” Noah said. “He’s helped me a lot. He has always helped me my whole life, being a big support for me. I love him so much.”

The post No Sibling Rilvarly Between Dower Nilsson Brothers, Only Shared Dream of Being Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings added to their defense at the start of the second day of the NHL Drat on Thursday in Nashville.

The Red Wings had three consecutive picks in the second round, but traded the third to the Predators for Nashville’s second-round pick and one in the fifth round.

Their first pick, at No. 41, was goalie Trey Augustine, who was born in South Lyon and played in high school at Livonia Churchill before moving to the National Team Development Program. He has committed to play at Michigan State.

Augustine, who is 6-feet, 189 pounds, played in 32 games last season for the USNTDP with a 2.14 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. He won four of six games for the U.S. team at the World Junior Championships, with  2.85 GAA and .891 save percentage. His draft stock rose considerably after that.

The next pick, No. 42, was defenseman Andrew Gibson of the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. The 6-3, 185 pounder had seven goals for the Greyhounds last season and recorded three assists in seven games for Team Canada in the World Under-18 Games.

“I got a lot of friends and family who are Wings fans,” Gibson said. “I played for the Junior Red Wings in a tournament with Trey. It’s a great feeling being so close to home, being with such a great organization.”

Gibson , who missed eight weeks due to injury last season, uses an accurate wrist shot in traffic to create opportunities for rebounds and tip-ins. He was the Greyhounds’ rookie of the year last season.

“I’m a bigger guy,” he said. “I like to use my size to my advantage. I think I skate well for a big guy as well. I think I can play both ends of the ice, but offensively and defensively.”

After the trade, Detroit took defenseman Brady Cleveland with the No. 47 pick, Cleveland is a Wisconsin native who is signed to play at the University of Wisconsin next winter.

Cleveland was excited to join his teammate, Augustine, in the Red Wings[ draft class.

“I was sitting in the stands when he got picked and I was absolutely pumped for him,” he said, “and then for me to get picked right after is awesome. I really loved playing with him and to be able to go back and play with him again, that would be something really special.”

Cleveland isn’t much of  a scorer — he took only 14 shots in 55 games last season. But at 6-5, 211, he was one of the toughest hitters in the USHL and led the USNDTP with 106 penalty minutes. He’s skilled enough as a defender to play for the U.S. team at the World U-18 Championships.

“That’s kind of what I pride myself on,” he said of his physical game. “I like to be that guy who’s mean and physical and get up in your face and be hard to play against. It doesn’t matter what game, what scenario, I’m going to be out there and make it a nightmare for you.”

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In the third round, Detroit selected forward Noah Dower Nilsson, a 6-0 left wing who played for Vastra Frolunda Jr. of the Swedish Junior League last season, recording 26 goals and 28 assists in 37 games.

“I think my strength is developing,” he said. “When I have the puck I create opportunities for my teammates. My offensive skills. What I need to be better on is to be stronger on the puck, stronger on the whole and my play in the D zone.”

His brother, Liam, was a fifth-round pick by the Red Wings in 2021. He was with the rest of the family when Noah’s name was called.

“He’s always been with me and my whole family has helped me to get here,” Noah Dower-Nilsson said. “Without them I don’t think I’m here. I will also thank my mom. She has helped me get here today. She’s my biggest idol.”

In the fourth round, the Red Wings took Larry Keenan of Culver Academy, a high school in Culver, Ind. He is the grandson of Larry Keenan, who played for four NHL teams in the 1960s.

The younger Keenan wasn’t surprised to be taken by Detroit.

“They were probably one of the teams that had the most interest in me,” he said. “I know their scout Tim Gibson, he was calling my personal trainer quite a big, even like two days ago, just checking in, making sure everything was good.”

The elder Keenan scored the first goal in the history of the St. Louis Blues, and was on the ice when Bobby Orr scored his famous goal against St. Louis in 1970.

Among those celebrating the pick was the elder Larry Keenan, who is now 83.

“I’m really excited to share it with them and take it all in. Enjoying the moment,” the younger Keenan said.

Detroit had two fifth-round picks, their own and Nashville’s. With their pick they took defenseman Jack Phelan of Sioux City (USHL). With Nashville’s choice, they took German forward Kevin Bicker.

In the sixth round, the Red Wings took another goalie, selecting Rudy Guimond of the Taft School of Watertown, Connecticut.

He plans to spend the next two years with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids team before attending Yale. But the draft was a personal highlight.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about my whole life,” Guimond said. “So if (being drafted) were to happen I just really wanted to be here. Nashville’s been great, so I’m really happy I came. And obviously, I got drafted.”

Detroit finished the day by taking left wing Emmitt Finnie in the seventh round. Finnie played for Kamloops of the WHL last season.

The post Red Wings Go For Defense in Draft’s Second Day appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.