DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji spoke with Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson regarding the Wings’ four Swedish picks made over the course of the 2019 Draft:
It would not be a true Red Wings draft without some Swedes in the mix.
The Wings started by selecting defenseman Albert Johansson, a 6-foot, 168-pound player from Farjestad, with their third pick of the second round, 60th overall.
“I’m very excited about his talent,” said Hakan Andersson, Detroit’s director of European scouting. “That was another scout that told me he thinks he might be the best of them all and I kind of agree. He’s a great skater and a very good guy with the puck. But he has to fill out. His dad (Roger Johansson) played 160 games in the NHL and 500 games in the Swedish league and was on the national team. He’s 6-foot-3 and he’s got two older brothers that are big. If he grows it’s going to help his career more but even right as a 6-foot kid, a very good hockey player. For some reason it didn’t quite come out when he played on the under-18 national team but he dominated in junior in Sweden. Just dominated. He was voted the best defenseman in the junior playoffs in Sweden. Talented guy without the size.”
