Is Albert Johansson destined for the Detroit Red Wings Press box?

Drafted in the 60th overall in the 2nd round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, he already had a small chance of making it to the NHL. Fortunately, he forced the team's hand in more than one way.

Playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins Albert Johansson was their number 2 defenseman and was the regular right-side partner to Simon Edvinsson. In 119 AHL games, he recorded 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points, as well as 3 assists in 9 playoff games. He is considered incredibly defensively responsible, contains a high Hockey IQ, and isn't afraid to use the physical game or activate offensively.

While he's not what many would consider an "elite" player, he has proven to be one of the most reliable and responsible defensive prospects the Red Wings have and has the potential to become the most steady and reliable defenseman on the team.

Will Detroit Red Wings find space for Albert Johansson in the regular lineup or is going to watch most games from the pressbox?

It's no secret that Steve Yzerman has, for better or worse, created a log jam at nearly every position and has made it incredibly difficult for prospects to crack the lineup. This was no different for Johansson, who is only able to make the lineup this upcoming season due to his Entry-level contract expiring and no longer being waiver-exempt.

With the off-season moves Yzerman made this year, the Red Wings have a total of eightNHL-caliber Defensemen on their roster, nine if you count William Lagesson. With Guys such as Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Simon Edvinsson, Jeff Petry and Erik Gustafsson likely guaranteed a permanent spot on the blue line, that leaves Johansson to compete with Olli Määttä and Justin Holl for that last spot.

In terms of talent, I would put him over both Holl and Määttä. He is just as, if not, more defensively responsible than Määttä with a bit more offensive ability. He may also have a leg up on Holl, as most of his time in Grand Rapids was spent playing on the right side. So he's pretty comfortable with playing on his off-hand side. It's also worth noting that Erik Gustafsson has never played the right side and will likely end up on the bottom pair with one Holl, Määttä, or Johansson. While he has said that he's willing to play on the right side, It would likely be better for the team as a whole to play him on the left side as much as possible, so having the ability to comfortably play on his off side may just give him the leg up needed to leapfrog his competition.

In my opinion, I feel it's pretty obvious that Johansson isn't gonna be an every day member of the lineup but will still get more than a few games in with the big club.