Detroit Red Wings
This Player Won’t be Red Wings Prospect Much Longer
Draft picks must be signed by June 1
Liam Dower-Nilsson was the 134th player chosen in the 2021 NHL entry draft, a selection of the Detroit Red Wings. However, if the Wings don’t get the Swedish right-winger’s name on a contract soon, he’ll no longer be among the club’s pool of prospects.
Of course, the fact that they haven’t signed Dower-Nilsson by this point would suggest that he’s already out of that pool.
🚨List of NHL Draft Picks expiring June 1🚨
Teams are losing rights to 40+ unsigned players if drafted:
🏒'23 from CHL & played to age 20+
🏒'21 from CHL & left b4 20
🏒'21 from Europe b4 20
🏒'23 from Europe 20+
🏒'21, played NCAA & left b4 graduationhttps://t.co/mc0W44gXCv pic.twitter.com/gnNhHY3dje— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) May 22, 2025
He’s spent the past two seasons with Bjorkloven in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second division after being dropped by Frolunda of the SHL. Last season, Dower-Nilsson accounted for 20-21-41 totals.
His younger brother Noah, who’s still with Frolunda, was Detroit’s 73rd overall selection in the 2023 draft. The Red Wings have until June 1, 2027 to sign the younger Dower-Nilsson sibling.
This Kasper Didn’t Make Red Wings
While Marco Kasper is becoming a star for the Red Wings, a similar fate didn’t await defenseman Kasper Kotkansalo. Chosen 71st overall by Detroit in the 2017 draft, the Finnish defender made the move early to North America. Kotkansalo played in the USHL with Sioux Falls and NCAA hockey for the Boston Terriers.
Still, it wasn’t enough to convince the Red Wings to offer him a contract. Kotkansalo spent the past five seasons playing in Finland. Now he’a making the move to Sweden to play for SHL champions Lulea.
“He has been on our radar for a while,” Lulea assistant GM Ulf Engman said on Lulea’s web page. “He’s a stable two-way defender who is good at everything,”
Does Kindl Like Baguettes?
The same week that former Red Wings GM Ken Holland was taking over that role for the Los Angeles Kings, one of his Red Wings first-round draft picks was also locating a new hockey home. Defenseman Jakub Kindl was signing with the Bordeaux Boxers of the French League.
First of all, who knew that Kindl, 38, was still playing pro? Secondly, France? Really?
The club is certainly excited by his impending arrival.
Jakub Kindl rejoint les Boxers ! 🏒
Ancien NHLer, le défenseur tchèque arrive à Bordeaux. Passé par Detroit, la Floride, et plusieurs clubs européens, il sort d’un titre en Norvège.
Bienvenue Jakub ! 👏https://t.co/52lXBxqUlP#letsgoboxers #SortonsLesCrocs pic.twitter.com/7sHUNepv2k
— Boxers de Bordeaux (@BoxersBordeaux) May 14, 2025
“A true hockey giant will be setting his skates on the ice at Meriadeck,” Bordeaux announced on its website. “Jakub Kindl, 38, a Czech international with 351 NHL and 279 AHL games under his belt, will be strengthening the Boxers’ defense!”
Last season he played seven games with JoKP in the Metsis, Finland’s second division, ending a three-season sojourn from hockey.
The Red Wings were selecting Kindl with the 19th overall choice of the 2005 NHL entry draft.
Red Wings Pick Retires Again
Once more, Swedish forward Dick Axelsson is saying he’s done playing hockey. This time, he’s insisting it will stick.
“No one believes it,” Axelsson admitted to Swedish website Aftonbladet. “Now there will be no more comebacks. I have made my last comeback and I am quitting for the last time.”
Last season, Axelsson, 38, was helping Djurgardens gain promotion to the SHL, scoring 17 goals in the process. It was his third time coming out of retirement to return to the ice.
Detroit was making the Swedish forward the 38th player chosen in the 2006 NHL entry draft. Axelsson would play 17 games for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins in 2009-10, accounting for 2-3-5 totals.
Ice Chips
Lucas Lidstrom, son of Red Wings icon Nicklas Lidstrom, is changing Swedish clubs. He’s leaving Ornskoldjvik to join Vallentuna Hockey . . . Kelly Klima, offspring of former Detroit star Petr Klima, is moving from Liberec of the Czech Extraliga to Kladno, where he could be teammates with Jaromir Jagr next season . . . Goalie Jesper Eliasson, selected 84th overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 draft, has been dropped by Swedish club IF Troja Ljungby . . . Defenseman Mark Pysyk, who spent the entire 2022-23 NHL season on IR with the Red Wings, is leaving Finland’s SaiPa to join Czech club Sparta Prague.
