Multiple defensemen are on the clock as they try to convince the Detroit Red Wings to keep them.
As the Wings edge closer to the 2026-27 season (their opener isn't until Oct. 2, but the NHL starts Sept. 29) there's the looming matter of trimming the roster to 23 players. The list is due at 5 p.m. Sept. 28, by which time the Wings will have cycled through their four-game preseason slate.
They play their third on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m., Detroit SportsNet).
Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk and Albert Johansson have roles locked up, and so will Simon Edvinsson as soon as he's signed to a contract. Those competing for the remaining spots – there could be three if the Wings decide to carry eight defensemen – include prospects
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, William Wallinder and Anton Johansson and more seasoned players in Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jacob Bryson.
"We have good depth, we think, on the blue line in the organization," Todd McLellan said on Wednesday. "And even a guy like Bryson, he went on waivers yesterday, but he's NHL caliber. So we feel real good about the depth.
"There's five guys there that are probably going to start. And then will we carry seven or eight? That's a question that we internally have to continue to discuss. But there's players that have elevated their stock, for lack of a better term, and Anton would be one."
Here's a closer look at each candidate.
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Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Sandin-Pellikka, a right shot, is the best know of the young defenders vying for a spot, having appeared in 68 games last season as a rookie and posting seven goals and 14 assists, along with a minus-20 rating. It's the defensive side of the 21-year-old's game that has to be shored up in order for him to earn the trust of the coaching staff. He's been paired with Chiarot during camp/preseason, giving Sandin-Pellikka a veteran partner who can help serve as a safety net.
"He should be confident," McLellan said of Sandin-Pellikka. "He should feel good. Ax handles the puck well. He's made some real good plays, defended fairly well. So he's where he should be. He's just got to keep pushing away and believe in himself, and that'll take over."
Anton Johansson
Johansson, 22, was drafted at No. 105 in the 2022 NHL Draft. A rangy 6-foot-4, 203-pound right-shot defender, he's steadily made strides to improve his overall game. He showed off his offensive skills to great effect in the Wings' 7-4 exhibition victory over a Pittsburgh Penguins lineup that included Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, recording four assists. Combine that with what McLellan has heard from his colleagues in Grand Rapids, where Johansson played eight games in the regular season (after coming over from his Swedish club) and eight in the playoffs, and McLellan has been impressed.
"To me, he has joy for the game," McLellan said. "When he's out there, he loves being out there smiling. He brings an energy. That energy kind of rubs off on other people. And then he's real direct with his play. He's aggressive on killing plays, but he's also aggressive with the puck in the offensive zone. You saw how he created his and other teammates scoring chances last night, just creating a lane and getting it there. There's players on our team and on other teams that create lanes, and then they want to look and do something else. It's pretty simple, and it worked. And that's how he approaches it."
William Wallinder
Among Wallinder's assets are his size (6 feet 5, 210 pounds), his ability to skate, and poise with the puck. The 24-year-old left-shot defender from the 2020 draft (No. 32) has spent the past three seasons honing his game with the Griffins, which also means he's now out of waiver exemptions. That gives him a leg up on being on the 23-man roster, as the Wings aren't going to want to risk putting him on waivers and losing him for nothing, but it's another thing to be in the lineup.
"He's put his time in, the organization's developed him, and we expect him to play on our club," McLellan said. "But he's going to dictate whether that happens or not."
Wallinder said, "I'm in a good spot. I've just been taking this serious and working hard this summer. Hopefully, I get a shot at it this year."
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Bernard-Docker, 26, joined the Wings last season, appearing in 63 games (five points) playing around 15 minutes a night on the third line. Another right-handed shooter, he plays a pretty safe game and fits in well as a part-timer/reserve.
Jacob Bryson
Bryson, 28, has 304 NHL games on his resume, suiting up for 50 games last season split between the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets after spending the previous five years in and out of the Sabres' lineup. The left-shooter is 5 feet 9, but compensates with bursts of speed. He cleared waivers on Sept. 23, giving the Wings the option to send him to the minors.
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why the battle to make Detroit Red Wings' defense is so heated
