Elmer Soderblom, a 23-year-old forward for the Detroit Red Wings, reflected on his 2024-25 season, attributing his success to recent efforts in enhancing his overall game. After being recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) on January 21, Soderblom managed to establish himself within the NHL team.
“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things, but of course it feels like the confidence got better and better during my time here,” Soderblom stated during an end-of-season media session on April 12. He expressed satisfaction with his progress over the past years and anticipation for further improvement next season.
Soderblom recorded 17 points in 38 AHL games before contributing 11 points in 26 NHL games. Despite suffering an undisclosed injury towards the end of the season with Detroit, he recovered to participate in three Calder Cup Playoff games with Grand Rapids.
Detroit head coach Todd McLellan praised Soderblom’s use of his size on the ice. “When you think about Elmer, you think about, ‘Well, can he use his size?’ He’s a big man,” McLellan said. The coach highlighted Soderblom’s ability to effectively utilize his physical attributes while pursuing pucks.
Throughout the year, Soderblom focused on simplifying his game and achieving consistency. “Simplifying my game a little bit more and finding the consistency level, I think I improved those,” he noted. He also mentioned growth in physicality and offensive play as key areas where he felt confident.
Selected by Detroit as a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Soderblom learned from veteran players how to handle the demands of an NHL season. “You have to find a way to play for 82 games,” he said regarding maintaining consistency throughout such a long schedule.
Looking ahead to next season as a restricted free agent, Soderblom plans to focus on refining details in his game this offseason. “I think I’m just going to keep working on every small little detail,” he explained. His goal is continued improvement by leveraging his size advantageously while honing skills further.
With valuable experience gained over this past season, expectations are high for what Soderblom could achieve moving into 2025-26. As he enters summer training sessions with renewed determination: “It feels like I’ve improved a lot this year,” said Soderblom optimistically about becoming even more prepared for future challenges at higher levels within professional hockey leagues worldwide—especially when returning stronger than ever before onto competitive rinks come fall-time puck drops once again!
