Axel Holmstrom-Action.jpg

Red Wings prospect Axel Holmstrom was Sweden's Junior Player of the Year last season.

(Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings)

DETROIT - Axel Holmstrom's North American debut has been pushed back one year.

Holmstrom and the Detroit Red Wings agreed that it's in the 20-year-old forward's best interest to spend another season in Sweden rather than play for the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2016-17 as originally planned.

The decision was based on Holmstrom's torn ACL, which won't be healed until late September or early October. He will return to Skelleftea AIK for his third season with the Swedish Hockey League team.

"Until Axel suffered his injury, that was certainly his expectation, to have a good year in Sweden and then set himself up to come into training camp in '16-17 and compete for a spot in Detroit and then play in Grand Rapids mostly likely," Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin said. "When he suffered the injury I think because of the long recovery process he doesn't feel he's in a position to start his career in North America the way he would like to. He would prefer when he starts his North American career that he's 100 percent and ready to go.

"Everybody agreed that for his development another year in Sweden would be the most beneficial thing since he's most likely not going to be ready to start the year and play games. When he is healthy he'll start in Sweden and the hope and expectation would be at the end of the (Swedish) League season he'd come to Grand Rapids and play some games and sort of set himself up for the '17-18 season."

Holmstrom (no relation to longtime Red Wing Tomas Holmstrom) is one of the Red Wings' top European prospects. His stock soared after he was drafted in the seventh round (196th overall) in 2014. He compiled 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 15 games during the 2015 Swedish League playoffs, breaking the record for points in the postseason by a junior player that was shared by Daniel and Henrik Sedin. He has twice represented Sweden in the World Juniors (13 points in 14 games).

Martin called him a smart player who has some similarities to Tomas Holmstrom in his net-front ability.

"Axel's game is not only in front of the net, it's holding onto the puck down low," Martin said. "He can play center or wing. He's a strong, heavy body, 6-foot-1, 215 pounds. He's solid on his feet, he knows how to control the puck down low."

Skating is Holmstrom's primary weakness.

"I would say he needs to continue to work on his foot speed and skating, especially as he transitions to the North American game," Martin said. "We like his hockey sense and his competitiveness and his willingness to go to the hard areas to score goals."

The Red Wings considered having Holmstrom take part in the pre-training camp Prospects Tournament in Traverse City from Sept. 16-20 but decided against it.

"That would be a bit aggressive and ambitious to expect him to be able to play games by then," Martin said. "I don't think that's a realistic goal to go from summer recovery from this type of injury to jumping into a prospect tournament at a high competitive level."

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