Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings kicked off day 2 of the 2020 NHL Draft with the first pick. At 32nd overall, Detroit selected defenseman William Wallinder out of Sollefteå, Sweden.
The six-foot-four 192-pound left-shooting defenseman is a MODO product who has had some success in Sweden’s junior levels. The most-interesting part of Wallinder’s game is his skating ability. Future Considerations has him ranked right at 32.. Here’s what their scouting team says:
“He skates smooth when he turns both with and without puck. He can play a two-way game and plays in all situations. While he doesn’t take any risks in his own zone, he always stands up against an opponent when he feels safe to do so. He seems to have good work ethic and works hard along the boards and is very effective with the poke checks because of his long reach. He could use his strength better when he battles along the boards.”
Elite Prospects has Wallinder ranked at 47 on their list — with high grades for skating, puck-handling, and average shooting/passing:
“The one constant? Through the good and the bad performances alike — Wallinder always skates well. He skates well enough that our Director of European Scouting based in Sweden, made him one of the only players with a 7-grade or higher for skating.”
A lot of chatter about Wallinder being worth of a late first-round pick, but most scouting services had him situated in the mid-second range. Wallinder is certainly one of those “project” type players that could fill out his frame. Wallinder put up 24 points (5-19—24) in 37 games with MODO in the J20 SuperElit last season.
