Some Swedish hockey experts are anticipating that Detroit Red Wings draftee Noah Dower Nilsson is ready to take a significant step forward in his progress as a prospect.

Swedish website Sportbladet offers an annual hockey draft competition called Dream Team. You draft and manage your own SHL team, and must deal with a salary cap.

That being the case, savvy operators are always on the lookout for bargains, players who won’t take up much salary cap space, but may be poised to deliver a breakout season.

According to analysts at Sportsbladet, one of those guys is going to be Dower Nilsson.

Noah Dower Nilsson(3rd round’23) with a nice shootout goal for Frölunda. They lose 3-2. Westergard and Stenberg miss. Stenberg with a beautiful assist earlier in the game(2026) #LGRW pic.twitter.com/CtG9Xmkp08

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) August 14, 2025

“I think an injury-free Noah Dower Nilsson will get a new lease of life under (new coach) Robert Ohlsson in Frölunda, where he has impressed in the preseason,” Sportbladet’s Jonathan Konekta wrote.

In 35 games last season with Frölunda, Dower Nilsson, 20, accounted for four goals and six assists. Detroit selected him 73rd overall in the 2023 NHL entry draft.

Sportbladet also had several SHL stars select their own dream teams. Former Washington Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom, making a comeback with Brynas, picked a Brynas teammate, former Red Wings defenseman Gustav Lindström, to his squad.

“I have played golf with Gustav Lindström,” Backstrom explained. “He seems like a nice guy.”

Along with himself, former Red Wings forward Mathias Brome is including Red Wings prospects Anton Johansson and Michal Svrcek on his team.

“Anton Johansson will get to play a lot (in Leksand),” Brome said. “Michal Svrcek is a cheap wing in Brynäs.”

Former Red Wings Prospect Out Of Work

Once a defense prospect for the Red Wings, Mattias Backman suddenly finds himself without a team to play for on the eve of the European season.

Backman, 32, had been playing in the SHL preseason for Linköping. However, the team opted to release the veteran player from his tryout.

“We are very happy and grateful that Bäckman has been there to support the team during the preseason,” Linköping’s sports director Peter Jakobsson said on the club’s website. “He has done well during these months, and it has been fun to see him in our colors again.

“We wish him the best of luck in the future.”

Backman was selected 146th overall by the Red Wings in the 2011 NHL entry draft. The Swedish rearguard played for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. This would’ve been his fourth stint with Linköping, had he made the team. He was playing in Norway last season with Frisk Anger.

Ex-Red Wings Player Discusses Effect Of Internet Hate

Former Red Wings forward Brome recently spoke to Swedish Hockey News about the impact personal attacks and threats from internet trolls can have on players and their families.

“You try not to care, delete it and move on,” Brome said. “But it is clear that it sticks.”

This has become even more of a problem since the explosion of legalized sports betting. Angry bettors take out their vengeance over gambling losses by attacking a player from the losing team whom they blame for the setback. Some even demand that the athlete pay back their betting losses.

Mathias Brome FINALLY scores his 1st NHL goal! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/dHeaZwdwlj

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) February 20, 2021

In Brome’s case, at one point, the internet hate being directed his way resulted in the SHL offering to provide a security detail to watch over his home.

“My partner was scared,” Brome said. “Then the SHL asked if we wanted protection. That says something about how serious it can be.

“People don’t seem to understand that we are ordinary people with families and children at home. It affects them too, not just us players.”

Brome played 26 games for the Red Wings during the 2020-21 season.