Of all the problems the Detroit Red Wings face, this is far from a bad one.
For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the team has actual depth at defense. Their top defensive pairing, headlined by Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson, is one of the best in the league. On the second pairing, up-and-comer Albert Johansson and seasoned NHL vet Justin Faulk handle middle-pairing duties.
The third pairing is where things get complicated.
Ben Chiarot is the incumbent on the left side, but the right side of things appears up for debate. Jacob Bernard-Docker, who earned a contract extension this offseason, is the would-be solution on the pairing. But this training camp - and the subsequent preseason that's followed - has brought a lot of that into question.
It isn't that Bernard-Docker is a bad defenseman by any means. It's that many of the Red Wings' young defensive prospects are finally, finally challenging for roster spots.
Four players have an opportunity to take on the role. Just one will emerge victorious, barring a trade. Here are the four candidates challenging for that final spot on defense:
Anton Johansson is the biggest surprise of the preseason
Last season, seventh round pick Emmitt Finnie blew the doors off the NHL and forced his way onto the roster. This time around, fourth round pick Anton Johansson is making a case for his spot on the roster.
In two preseason games, Johansson has four assists - all from the 7-4 beatdown of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Johansson played 20:31 in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, quickly following it up with a 22:27 outing vs. the Penguins.
Only one player had more ice time than Johansson against the Penguins: Justin Faulk.
This shows two things: one, that Johansson can be trusted with major minutes, and two, that trusting Johansson with those minutes results in positive yields. There are plenty of dark horse candidates for the Red Wings this season, but none have turned heads quite like Johansson.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka has something to prove
2023 first round pick Axel Sandin-Pellikka has the tools to be a full-time NHLer. He showed it last season, playing 68 games for the Red Wings in his rookie season. While he was able to score 21 points in that timeframe, his defensive lapses led to quite a few blunders in his own zone. As the season went on, his mistakes piled up. Eventually, the Red Wings decided he needed some time in the AHL to properly develop.
But that was then.
This is now. After a long offseason, Sandin-Pellikka is ready to prove the doubters wrong. His lone goal against the Penguins is the only offensive contribution he has thus far, but it's in the little things that one can notice a change in Sandin-Pellikka. Sure, he still makes risky plays in his own zone. You may even catch him blowing a tire and causing a tough goal. But it's clear that those mistakes aren't coming in at the same clip that they did last season.
There's little doubt that Sandin-Pellikka will see NHL ice time this season. The question is whether or not that comes early on or later in the year.
William Wallinder has nothing to lose
At 24 years of age, Wallinder has yet to play a single NHL game. Part of this can be attributed to the Red Wings' conservative approach to developing their prospects. But the important thing to note is that there are plenty of late bloomers in the NHL. Tampa Bay Lightning legend Martin St. Louis didn't make an NHL roster until he was 25. Chris Chelios started his career late as well.
But St. Louis and Chelios are exceptions to the rule.
Can Wallinder be one? It's hard to say. Of all four players in a fight for a roster spot, Wallinder has the longest shot to make it. Johansson has shown he's NHL ready. ASP already has NHL experience. Jacob Bernard-Docker, as of right now, has both the roster spot and a contract extension to justify his placement.
The biggest thing going for William Wallinder is that he has nothing to lose.
Wallinder is waiver eligible. If the Red Wings cut him, 31 other teams will have a shot to snatch him away from Detroit. It would be a shame to lose a promising young defenseman for nothing. Thus, Wallinder must prove that he's worth keeping on the roster.
With two games left in the preseason, it's up to Wallinder to separate himself from the pack, lest he find himself a casualty of the waiver wire.
Don't count out Jacob Bernard-Docker just yet
While it's fair to be excited about young, promising defensemen, until they can prove they're better than the incumbent, there's no point in getting hopeful. As mentioned earlier, Bernard-Docker just signed a two-year extension. As far as paperwork goes, keeping Bernard-Docker on the roster over someone like, say, Axel Sandin-Pellikka or Anton Johansson is the path of least resistance.
Both Sandin-Pellikka and Johansson are waiver ineligible, meaning they don't have to worry about teams claiming either defenseman. They could certainly call either blueliner up the moment either of them shows some serious progress in the AHL.
But where's the fun in that?
If the kids are ready, the best thing they can do is let the kids play. If interim GM Shawn Horcoff wants to show he's different than Red Wings GMs of the past, competition could (and should) be on the table.
But, until they can prove they're consistently better than Bernard-Docker, it isn't an argument worth having.
Rosters are due in just four days. Keep a close eye on these four blueliners between now and then.
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