The Detroit Red Wings’ decision to claim Andreas Englund on waivers has sparked plenty of questions, but the simplest answer may be the most obvious one: Detroit just added a true heavyweight.
Englund isn’t being brought in quietly. He’s the kind of defenseman who shows up ready to handle business, and his track record backs that up.
He has fought 24 times in the NHL, and he’s willing to go with anyone. Last season’s list included Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers, who are in Detroit to open the NHL season Friday at Little Caesars Arena.
Englund also dropped the gloves with Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Keegan Kolesar, who is now his Red Wings teammate.
That familiarity with Kolesar goes back a bit. The two have already tangled twice in NHL games. At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, the Swedish blueliner has also mixed it up with every NHL member of the Foligno family except former Red Wings forward Mike.
If there’s a name attached to the heavyweight conversation in hockey, Englund is in that lane too. The article even draws a line back to Stockholm and, in a bit of theater, likens him to the most famous Swedish fighter since Dolph Lundgren portrayed Ivan Drago in Rocky 4.
Englund says his game starts with the defensive details and a physical edge.
“I’m a defensive type of guy,” Englund said. “I like to box out and keep the net clear. And then, like, bring a presence on the ice and, you know, bring a physical style.”
As a kid in Sweden, he was paying attention to the Red Wings, and the names he gravitated toward make sense. Nicklas Lidstrom stood out first.
“Yeah, for sure,” Englund said. “I mean, [Nicklas] Lidstrom is one of the greatest defensemen of all time. He’s a legend in Sweden, and so is [Niklas] Kronwall.
“His game is a little bit more like mine. I like watching him and watching him step up on people, so definitely Kronwall was a big guy growing up.”
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