'I wanna show my style of play': Elmer Soderblom out to prove himself

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Listed at 6-foot-6, 220-pounds, Detroit Red Wings forward prospect Elmer Soderblom's size makes him tough to miss on the ice.

Just ask fellow prospect Cross Hanas.
"That guy is an absolute tank," Hanas said. "When he has the puck on the ice, you can't even reach around him to get the puck. He's so big."
And Soderblom, who was Detroit's 159th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, knows his large frame gives him an edge.

"I think I'm pretty much the tallest guy on the ice often," Soderblom said. "I'm gonna use that to my advantage and do the best I can."
Soderblom had a breakout 2021-22 season with Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League, tallying 21 goals and 12 assists in 52 games.
"Everything went well," said Soderblom, who was named the European Hockey Club's Young Player of the Year at the 2022 Fenix Outdoor Hockey Awards Gala in June. "I had a high confidence, played my game and was just focusing on the things I did well."
The 21-year-old said he's made strides since being drafted by the Red Wings.
"Three years ago, I was not that smooth or comfortable with my body and big size," Soderblom said. "I'm still working on it, but I'm getting used to my size and it's getting better."

Detroit prospects coach and Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Ben Simon echoed Soderblom's self-assessment.
"His skating has gotten so much better, just growing into his body," Simon said. "He's become a lot stronger. You don't teach size."
What Simon and the Red Wings coaching staff can teach Soderblom, though, is learning to adjust and play with his size in North America.
"There is an acclamation period," Simon said. "The shorter that acclamation can be to get comfortable in North America, I think the quicker he's gonna have success."

"I think my strengths are my attack mindset around the net, being tough to play against, protecting the puck and using my big frame," Soderblom said. "I don't know if I model my game after a specific person or player, but I wanna be unique in my own way."
Looking ahead to what's left of his time in Traverse City, Soderblom hopes to show "his style of play" as he works to make Detroit's 2022-23 roster.
"(Red Wings front office) told me they wanna see what I did in Frolunda," Soderblom said. "Keep playing my game, add some more physicality and play with my size even more. I think that's what I have to do to be able to take a spot."