Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson was on the ice with his hometown team, Leksands IF, for their “ice premiere” yesterday. Today, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a profile of Johansson, a 22-year-old right-shooting D who stands at 6’4″ and 196 pounds:
The likely path [for Johansson] is beginning the season in Grand Rapids, learning the North American professional game with the Griffins, and then graduating to the NHL and the Red Wings.
Defenseman Anton Johansson realizes that probably will be the road he’ll take after September’s training camp. Johansson has already played a handful games with the Griffins, including an impressive performance in April during the AHL playoffs. But like any young player, Johansson, 22, is already dreaming about wearing the Wings’ sweater in the NHL.
“You have high expectations of yourself and the team,” Johansson said during his season-ending interview with reporters. “I’m looking forward to getting started. I want to (have) a great season and hopefully make a debut (in the NHL).”
Over the past two seasons, Johansson has played 19 games over two brief stints late in the Griffins’ season, along with 11 total playoff games. Johansson made his 2026 debut with the Griffins on April 1 and finished with six points (two goals, four assists) in eight regular-season games with a plus-six rating.
Johansson had one assist, eight penalty minutes and a minus-two rating in eight playoff games, with the Griffins being eliminated in the second round.
The former 2022 fourth-round draft pick (105th pick overall) has always intrigued with his size (6-foot-4, 192 pounds), mobility and ability to play a physical game. The Wings’ front office saw more of that, an impressive well-rounded game, in Johansson’s Grand Rapids stay, particularly in the playoffs.
“He had a very big impact in Grand Rapids at the end of the year, and it was great to see,” said Dan Cleary, the Wings’ assistant director of player development. “He’s a very good prospect on the right side of defense.”
Continued (paywall)
