Red Wings Prospect Update: Dower Nilsson Demotion; Lombardi A Top-12 Scorer

While last season was a boom for Detroit Red Wings prospects playing in the Swedish Hockey League, the current campaign is proving to be a bust for many Detroit hopefuls.

Frolunda have demoted center Liam Dower Nilsson to play for Vasteras in Hockey Allsvenskan, the Swedish Second Division. In 18 games for Frolunda, Dower Nilsson, taken 134th overall by the Red Wings in the 2021 NHL entry draft, was showing one goal and three assists. He was seeing just 7:28 of ice time per game.

Liam Dower-Nilsson collects an assist in his Allsvenskan debut with Västerås IK, putting a puck on net that turns into a rebound goal #LGRW pic.twitter.com/rZRbquIGMq

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) November 16, 2022

“Since we cannot offer Liam the ice time and role he needs, we have found a good collaboration with Vasteras that favors his continued development,” Frolunda sporting director Fredrik Sjostrom told SHL.se.

Vasteras is the hometown of Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom, currently the club’s vice president of hockey operations. Dower Nilsson will spent the remainder of the hockey season playing there.

It’s a far cry from the hopeful blueprint Dower Nilsson laid out for himself over the summer. However, he’s not the only Red Wings Swedish prospect struggling to make things happen this season.

Red Wings Prospect Niederbach Also Struggling

Right-winger Theodor Neiderbach (51st, 2020) was expecting to see a boost in his fortunes via an offseason move from Frolunda to Rogle. However, his struggles are continuing with the new club. Niederbach has one goal through 17 games and is minus-6.

Likewise, defenseman Anton Johansson (105th, 2022) was hopeful of making the jump full-time to Leksand’s senior squad. Instead, the 18-year-old has seen action in just three games and doesn’t have a point.

Rogle’s other two Red Wings prospects are getting it done this season, though. Defenseman William Wallinder (32nd, 2020) has collected 4-7-11 totals in 17 games and is third on the team in scoring. He’s also skating a team-high 21:45 per game. Right behind him at fourth in team scoring is center Marco Kasper (8th, 2022). He’s put up 3-7-10 numbers in 17 games.

Lombardi Pacing Firebirds

Center Amadeus Lombardi (113th, 2022) is leading the OHL Flint Firebirds in scoring with 9-16-25 totals. That’s good enough to put him in a tie for 12th in the league scoring race. Lombardi is tied for ninth in the OHL with his 16 assists.

Amadeus Lombardi goes coast-to-coast 🤩

The @DetroitRedWings prospect skates the length of the ice and catches the goalie from a tough angle to give the @FlintFirebirds the lead 🎥 pic.twitter.com/hGGXImsFVS

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) November 13, 2022

Center Pasquale Zito (166th, 2021) recently fired the first hat-trick of his OHL career. His three-goal game came Nov. 3 for the Niagara IceDogs in a 9-3 loss to the North Bay Battalion.

Buchelnikov Helps Earn Russian Gold

Banned from IIHF competition, Russia’s national junior team played a three-team friendly tournament earlier this month against teams from Belarus and Kazakhstan.

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Russia went 2-0 to win the event. In a 6-1 victory over Kazakhstan, Dmitri Buchelnikov (52nd, 2022) was the scorer of one of the Russian goals.