Lost in the chaos of the last six months of the Detroit Red Wings is the quiet emergence of fourth round pick Anton Johansson.
Selected 105th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Johansson has slowly worked his way through the SHL before joining the Grand Rapids Griffins throughout the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. Last year, Johansson played his best hockey yet, scoring six points in eight games with the Griffins. The minute-munching defenseman's first foray onto North American ice appears to be a success so far; he'll have a chance to put his money where his mouth is at training camp this week.
"Anton has become more stable in his play," said Vice President of Hockey Operations Nick Lidstrom. "That comes with more experience and with the confidence from getting to play a bit more. I also think he's very good with the puck, mobile, and good at getting his shots through. He's also become more solid in his own zone, goes hard into the corners and tries to be physical. He's progressing all the time and has a strong development curve."
High praise from the best defenseman in Red Wings history.
But is it enough to crack the Opening Night roster?
Johansson faces uphill battle in Detroit
This might be the most competitive camp on the defensive front to date. The Red Wings already have their starting six defenders all but guaranteed. Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson (somehow still unsigned) take the top pairing duties, while Ben Chiarot and Justin Faulk fill in on the second line. On the bottom, Albert Johansson handles the left, while the incumbent, Jacob Bernard-Docker, just signed a contract extension this offseason.
If the Red Wings wanted to, they could easily start this season with this defensive core. But, as we saw last season, the defense, while solid, wasn't enough to make a difference. Thus, change will certainly be encouraged by the organization.
There's a chance Johansson can usurp Bernard-Docker's spot if he's had a good training camp. But, unfortunately for Anton, he isn't the only one on the hunt for that spot.
Young defensemen add another wrinkle to the competition
After a tumultuous rookie season between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Axel Sandin-Pellikka is out to prove the doubters wrong. He made the roster out of camp last season, playing 68 games before spending the rest of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. While he wound up losing his roster spot to Justin Faulk, he's had an entire offseason to build up strength and should be ready to fight his way into a spot.
Not only does Albert Johansson have to outperform both Sandin-Pellikka and Bernard-Docker, he'll have to deal with another prospect: defenseman William Wallinder.
Wallinder signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings this offseason. He'll be waiver ineligible this season, which means he's going to do everything in his power to make the roster. Where Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka have a backup plan in Grand Rapids, nothing is guaranteed for Wallinder, who could easily be claimed by any other organization if he's waived.
To say the competition is steep is an understatement. But if everything goes according to plan for Johansson, he'll see his way to Detroit this season. When that time comes, however, is the bigger question.
Add us as a preferred source on Google