Johansson Could be Steadying Presence For Red Wings

If the race does indeed go to the steady, then perhaps the time is appropriate for Detroit defense prospect Albert Johansson to be earning his Red Wings.

You won’t find flash or dash in Johansson’s DNA. He won’t be pulling you out of your seat. However, when he’s on his game, he also won’t be causing you to throw the seat cushions at the TV.

Here’s some Albert Johansson content for you all!

📷@TravInTtown #LGRW #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/uscinLdJbI

— Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) September 26, 2024

There’s nothing at all exciting about the way he plays defense. Unless, of course, you happen to be his coach.

“Simple, heavy, hard,” is the outline Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde gives of what an effective Johansson performance looks like. “He’s been noticeable in some aspects of camp, which is a positive for him.”

With two seasons of North American pro hockey under his belt playing for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, Johansson is still awaiting his NHL debut. It will come this season. He must clear NHL waivers to go back down to GR. That’s not going to happen.

“Now it’s a new season,” Johansson said. “Time to take the next step.”

For Johansson, that next step isn’t going to be into the limelight.

Regardless, Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who often played in tandem with Johansson for the Griffins, thinks Detroit fans will be delighted by what they see from his fellow Swede.

“Good hands, good vision,” Edvinsson said. “He’s a steady defenseman. I really like how he plays. We played a lot in GR. We had good chemistry there and yeah, I really like him as a player.”

Albert Johansson scores for the Griffins – and watch the play by Berggren as well #LGRW pic.twitter.com/sAVsYBXKMX

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) December 6, 2023

Edvinsson is in the minority in that he thinks there’s an element beyond steadiness that Johansson is capable of accessing in his toolbox.

“He’s a skilled player,” Edvinsson said. “Even in Sweden when he played, and over here, he’s been good with the puck.”

Red Wings Ask Johansson To Play Simple Game

That may indeed be the case, but it’s not what the Red Wings are looking to see Johansson putting on display. The message from the coaching staff and the way they desire him to play are one in the same.

Keep it simple.

“I think the most important is just to play a simple game,” Johansson said. “So we’ll try to keep it as simple as possible.

“They want to see me as a great defender and moving pucks and set up my teammates and play a simple game. So that’s my mindset right now.”

The six-foot, 168-pound Swede projects as a reliable third-pairing defender and capable penalty killer as an NHLer.

“My skating and my first pass are my biggest or my strongest side of the game,” Johansson said. “And then my two years in Grand Rapids helped me a lot with my physical game. So I think that’s coming more and more.”

Johansson isn’t going to be making the play of the day. However, if he proves consistently capable of making the plays that pay off at the end of day, he could be in line for a lot of days on the Detroit defense.