Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen surmises that, in a couple of years, the Red Wings may have an all-Yzerman-draft-pick defensive corps. It’s a bit of a stretch, but one never knows. As part of his article, Allen speaks with Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson regarding Antti Tuomisto and William Wallinder, who could join Albert Johansson, Simon Edvinsson, Moritz Seider and Axel Sandin Pellikka on the Wings’ blueline:
Six-foot-5 Finnish defenseman Antti Tuomisto is in his second season at Grand Rapids, and pro scouts tell Detroit Hockey Now they believe he has a chance to play in the Show.
“He’s been steady for us defensively, he’s been steady for us moving pucks, and that’s one of his biggest attributes, the way he sees the ice and can distribute the pucks,” Watson said. “He makes great passes. He sees it extremely well.”
Watson said what Tuomisto is working on now on his footwork and his mobility.
“He understands that and knows that,” Watson said. “So he puts himself in position to have success defensively. Again, with the length of a stick, you know, his angling, the way he is around our net right now, he’s got that intensity that maybe that he lacked a little bit last year, that’s growing and you have to build on that. That’s just not something that happens overnight. You have to do that consistently. So through practices, through games up to this point.”
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Another Swede,William Wallinder, is showing in Grand Rapids he’s not far away from being ready.
“(When) I think for him, again, it’s growing, the intensity and, and moving his feet,” Watson said. “When he moves his feet, he’s an elite skater. He’s one of the best in our team, if not the best defenseman at closing gaps, using his stick. He’s right there.”
Continued; not everybody makes the NHL, but the Wings’ defensive corps has very good depth in terms of NHL-ascendant prospects.
