There are stretches when Anton Johansson looks like he belongs in a bigger role for the Red Wings.
The rookie defenseman can jump a passing lane, swipe the puck and turn it into offense in a hurry. He can also carry the puck through the neutral zone with ease.
Defensively, he’s been trending the right way too, backing off the risky pinches and leaning more into smart decisions. Detroit has kept him in a sheltered spot so far, giving him an average of 13:48 a night, but the real issue isn’t his ice time.
It’s who he’s skating with.
The Red Wings claimed Andreas Englund off waivers from the Calgary Flames, a move that was puzzling at the time because it looked like Simon Edvinsson was about to be signed any minute. That didn’t happen, and Englund has since appeared in 11 games for Detroit without recording a point.
That doesn’t make Englund a bad defenseman. It just makes him a strange match for Johansson.
Englund brings size and physicality, and he’s averaging 13:09 a night. If Ben Chiarot weren’t already on the roster, he’d probably add something different to Detroit’s blue line beyond Moritz Seider’s edge.
But in the current mix, he doesn’t move the needle much compared with the other defensemen. Once Simon Edvinsson comes back, Englund will likely land on waivers again.
For now, though, he’s glued to Johansson.
Detroit needs to fix that.
The easiest answer is already in the building. Jacob Bernard-Docker, recalled a few days ago, looks like the cleanest temporary fit next to Johansson on the third pair.
Bernard-Docker already filled a bottom-pair role last season, taking over Axel Sandin-Pellikka’s spot in the back half of the year. He may not be flashy, but he’s steady, and that kind of game could suit Johansson well.
With Englund beside him, Johansson has to play with more caution. Put Bernard-Docker there, and he can take more chances and try to create more offense.
That would also help unlock some of the offensive pop he showed in preseason. Through 16 games, Johansson has four points - one goal and three assists.
It’s not a bad start, but there’s clearly more in there.
The bigger lineup question is coming fast.
Beyond Simon Edvinsson’s contract situation, the defense group is the main thing to watch over the next few weeks. If the Red Wings do sign Edvinsson, who comes out? Englund would seem like the most likely odd man out, but the picture gets messier once Albert Johansson is back in the mix.
William Wallinder and Justin Faulk have been a pleasant surprise on the second pair, producing and controlling the puck at a strong level, so that duo probably stays intact. Moritz Seider isn’t going anywhere either. If Edvinsson returns and Albert Johansson is available again, the Red Wings still have to answer the same question: does Anton Johansson go back to the AHL, or is Ben Chiarot finally the one who sits?
In Other News...
Red Wings May Have Found Their Second Pair Answer Too Late
The Red Wings have been sorting through their defensive combinations for weeks, and one pairing has started to separate itself from the rest: Justin Faulk and William Wallinder. In a season where Detroit has been searching for answers on the blue line, the two have logged meaningful minutes together and produced the kind of underlying results that make coaches pay attention, especially when the rest of the pairings have been more uneven.
The question now is less about whether the duo has worked and more about how far the team can push it without creating other problems. Detroit has to balance a possible increase in their workload with the bigger picture of player development and deployment, which is never simple this late in the season. If this really is the best second-pair option the Red Wings have found, the lingering issue is whether they found it in time to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Blue Line Debate Starts With Moritz Seiders Heavy Lift
Moritz Seider has become the center of a familiar Red Wings discussion on the blue line: who best complements him, and what Detroit is really getting from its top defensive pair. The numbers around Seider and Ben Chiarot suggest the pairing has been serviceable more than dominant, even with both players seeing plenty of time together, and the contrast in their underlying results has only sharpened the conversation about how the defense should be arranged.
Seider has done the heavier lifting, showing better impact in several advanced measures while Chiarot has been asked to handle a role that stretches beyond what he usually provides. Other defensemen have entered the picture as well, and lineup changes have already altered the mix once, which makes the debate less about one pair in isolation and more about whether Detroit can find a better fit around its most important blueliner. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Should Be Watching What Happens With Dylan Larkin And Simon Edvinsson
The Red Wings still have work to do with restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson, and the situation around him is starting to mirror the broader tension in Detroits front office. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has been navigating a market that has already tied Edvinsson and captain Dylan Larkin to multiple teams in trade chatter, with the club clearly trying to maximize any return rather than rush into a deal.
For interested teams, that approach has created a waiting game, and it is one that could drag on a while longer if Detroit keeps holding out for the ideal package. Edvinssons future remains unsettled, Larkins name continues to circulate, and the longer the Red Wings stay patient, the more the rest of the league has to wonder whether anything is actually close. [Read more 🡒]