Lost in the noise of Detroit’s last six months, Anton Johansson has been building something a lot more important: a real case to make the Red Wings.
The fourth-round pick, taken 105th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, has climbed steadily through the SHL and then into Grand Rapids over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. Last year was his best stretch yet, with six points in eight games for the Griffins. For a defenseman who logs heavy minutes, that first taste of North American hockey has gone well enough to earn him another look 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.”
That kind of praise carries weight coming from Lidstrom. But praise alone won’t hand Johansson a roster spot.
The problem for him is simple: the Red Wings’ blue line is crowded, and the top six looks close to set. Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson are expected to anchor the top pair, with Ben Chiarot and Justin Faulk on the second line. On the third pair, Albert Johansson holds down the left side, while Jacob Bernard-Docker is back in the mix after signing an extension this offseason.
Detroit could roll into the season with that group and feel fine about the structure. But “fine” wasn’t enough last year, when the defense was solid without really moving the needle. So the organization is likely to welcome some competition, and maybe some upheaval.
Anton Johansson does have a path. If he puts together a strong camp, he could challenge Bernard-Docker for that spot. The issue is that he’s not the only young defender trying to force the door open.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka is back in the fight after a rocky rookie year split between Detroit and Grand Rapids. He made the roster out of camp last season, played 68 games, and then finished the year with the Griffins. After losing his spot to Justin Faulk, he’s had a full offseason to add strength and make another push.
And then there’s William Wallinder, who complicates everything. He signed a one-year deal this offseason and is waiver ineligible, which makes his situation especially interesting.
Unlike Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka, he doesn’t have the same safety net in Grand Rapids. If he doesn’t stick, he could be exposed to waivers and claimed by another team.
So the competition is real, and it’s deep. Johansson has put himself in position to be part of the conversation, and if things break right, he should get to Detroit. The only question is when.
In Other News...
Red Wings Veterans Just Got An Early Camp Wake Up Call
Training camp brought an early jolt for Detroit as the Red Wings split into an NHL group and an AHL group for scrimmages, with the work centered on special teams and several players already getting mandated rest days as part of the preseason schedule. It was the kind of checkpoint that can sharpen a roster quickly, and coach Todd McLellan came away impressed by the energy and execution from the younger side while using the session to continue sorting out potential lineup decisions for the games ahead.
The takeaway for the veterans was less encouraging, even if no one is reading too much into a single camp session in September. McLellan made clear he wanted more from the established NHL group, and the contrast with the AHL players was impossible to miss in a drill set up to expose details and habits. For a team still trying to settle roles, that kind of wake-up call can be useful, but only if the response comes fast. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Put Early Pressure On One New-Look Line
Todd McLellan has wasted little time shaking up his forward groups, and the most intriguing test case is a new second line built around Marco Kasper. The Red Wings are asking the young center to handle that role with Viktor Arvidsson and Emmitt Finnie on his wings, a setup that gives Detroit a chance to see how quickly its newer pieces can settle into bigger responsibilities.
Arvidsson arrives with a familiar edge for McLellan after their time together in Los Angeles, and that background matters as Detroit tries to absorb the offense it lost over the summer. The hope is that Arvidsson can steady the line while helping guide Kasper and Finnie through the early growing pains, but the real question is how much that group can deliver once the games start carrying more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Roster Battle Is About To Get Real
The NHL preseason has already started to take shape around the league, and Detroit is getting ready to join the action after spending the midpoint of training camp sorting through its own competition. With several young players pushing for spots and the roster picture still very much in flux, the Red Wings are moving toward the next phase of camp with real decisions starting to loom.
At the same time, the league backdrop is a reminder that preseason is never just about line combinations and exhibition games, with contract disputes and trade requests hanging over the status of players such as Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin. For Detroit, the bigger question is how its camp battles will look once the pace picks up and the attention shifts from evaluation to answers. [Read more 🡒]