After so many years fighting for just seconds of ice time or a seat on the bench, Albert Johansson is finally stepping into a top-pairing role for the Detroit Red Wings.
From the day the Detroit Red Wings drafted him in 2019, I have dreamt of watching Johansson play alongside Filip Hronek. Although it’s not possible (at least at the moment), Johansson’s new partner is just as enticing.
As he looks to grab hold of a top-four position in the Red Wings’ blue line, Johansson gets to show what he’s capable of—something we've only seen in flashes.
Albert Johansson finally gets his chance in Detroit’s top four
Make no mistake, the ask of Johansson has never been greater.
With Simon Edvinsson’s contract situation dragging on and an organization up in flames, Johansson is stepping into a new-to-him NHL role on the top pairing. With this new role, he has the opportunity to rise out of the ashes that are the expectations of this Red Wings’ season.
While he hasn’t played on the top pair for a significant period of time in the Detroit, Grand Rapids Griffins fans had the pleasure to watch him night in and night out. Since coming to North America, Johansson has been a steady presence on the blue line.
Even when he first arrived in Grand Rapids, he played with a maturity that seemed foreign to every Griffins player that season. Their coaching staff was…not the greatest. to put it lightly. The roster that suited up in each night played like jerseys rather than as a team. If you’re picturing the Detroit Red Wings of the last three Marches that’s exactly right. However, this was a full season rather than just a month (or a few).
Johansson still played like the steady presence that Red Wings fans have come to appreciate. A bit more cocky at the time, Johansson has grown into an intriguing option on Detroit’s defense.
It’s a far cry from the time on ice and roles that he was robbed of previously.
Now, he has a coach fully supporting him (whether it’s out of necessity or not is beside the point), which should help Johansson’s game grow to new heights (similar to how Grand Rapids fans saw him take off under head coach Dan Watson and defensive coach—and former Griffins’ captain/legend-Brian Lashoff). Per McLellan’s media availability from Saturday, September 26:
“We need him to have a good start. With a good start, I think he could take more minutes on, climb up the ladder a little bit into the four-five area and contribute a solid game. I think there’s some offense there, too. You can see sometimes when he goes with the puck, he’s got a real smart idea of what’s going on around hm and he has some skills…We hope that he continues to improve and get better.”
Even if Johansson is just filing in until Edvinsson returns to the lineup, he has a chance to show what people hope to have seen all along. A real chance to show what he’s capable of in the NHL. No longer a bottom pairing guy with a revolving door of par to sub-par NHL defensemen, Johansson can strut his stuff on the ice.
When Johansson shows what he’s truly capable of, something only ever shown in flashes at the NHL-level, Seider and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings will surely benefit.
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