By @MichaelCaples –
The next Holmstrom is almost here.
The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they have signed forward Axel Holmstrom to a three-year entry-level contract.
Holmstrom, 18, was the Wings’ seventh-round pick in 2014, but his impressive 2014-15 season in Sweden implies that he should be regarded much higher than a last-round selection.
Holmstrom recorded 18 points in the postseason with his Skelleftea team (Sweden), which broke the league scoring record for playoff points by a junior player.
He topped the previous record set by the Sedin twins, who had 14 points in 2000. The native of Arvidsjaur, Sweden, was named the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year after the impressive feat.
Will Holmstrom be the latest ‘diamond-in-the-rough’ that the Red Wings’ scouting department unearths with a late-round pick?
Here is a highlight reel of the Red Wings’ prospect: