If there was a disappointing prospect among the Red Wings’ seven skaters at the World Junior Summer Showcase last week, William Wallinder underwhelmed despite playing a strong season with MODO Hockey of the Swedish Allsvenskan.
Wallinder, a 6’4,” 190-pound defenseman, is headed to Rogle BK to help fill the void left by Moritz Seider as the Wings’ best defensive prospect returns to North America; when Team Sweden coach Tomas Monten spoke with the assembled media last week, he discussed the fact that Rogle’s expectations of Wallinder will be very high, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen noted:
“He is real talented,” said Sweden Junior coach Tomas Monten. “The thing for him going forward is to grow up as a man, strength-wise. He’s big, but he’s a little light.”
He’s listed at 193 pounds. “He has the skating,” Monten said. “He has the technical stuff, just getting bigger, stronger and more mature from playing against men and playing against pros.”
Wallander played for Modo last season, registering six points in 43 games. He’s moving to a better team, Rogle, this season. “He’s going to an organization where the demands are very high,” Monten said.
Wallinder’s going to be stepping up from the Allsvenskan to the SHL, Sweden’s best league, and while he looked like a bit of a jumble of skill and elite skating last week, everyone who’s watched him believes that he has the skill set to become a top-four defenseman, assuming he gets his game in order:
“He needs to start as more of a two-way defenseman, make sure he plays a solid defensive game,” Monten said. “He plays on the (penalty kill). We think he has good reach and he’s quick. I also think he can join the rush. He has the ability. He can skate the puck.”
Monten seems to believe in him: “He needs to make that step, but I think everyone involved thinks he can make that step.”
Allen continues; you can listen to Monten’s remarks here:
