William Wallinder will skyrocket up the Red Wings defensemen prospect rankings

Alright, so we talked about the Detroit Red Wings goalie prospects before moving on to the forwards. Now, we just got one more group to tackle: the blueliners. And if the headline indicated anything, this one's all about William Wallinder, and how he could skyrocket up these prospects rankings.

Maybe to No. 1 among blueliners by the end of the 2025-26 season, should all the dominoes fall into place. And yep, I said No. 1, because my last sentence may be a little cryptic here. Full of 'what-ifs,' and such.

But before we dive that far, let's start things off with the No. 5 prospect on the list. A player who recently re-signed.

5 - Antti Tuomisto

Antti Tuomisto is one blueliner you just keep thinking will break out and have a great year. But he seems like the kind of player who'll, at best, end up as a seventh defenseman, if not organizational depth either in Detroit or, in time, for about a half-dozen hockey clubs.

Tuomisto can produce, and he can quarterback power plays, but he's never once had a complete game, especially in the defensive end. If you want the true definition of a solid, but unspectacular prospect, it's Tuomisto.

4 - Anton Johansson

Johansson wasn't supposed to be a points producer, but early returns in North America said differently when he recorded five assists in 11 regular season games. He's a puck mover who can create sequences, but he might just help a little more finishing them if those early returns continue into 2025-26 when he returns to Sweden.

We'll see, and you can't ignore his size and his ability to use it to use it to his advantage, craving physical play. So, if that's all he is when he's eventually in North America, so be it. Maybe we'll see another cameo toward the end of the year.

3 - William Wallinder

Yep, this guy's the main point of this article, and one who should be a shoo-in on the first pairing in Grand Rapids. He can limit mistakes, and his skating just keeps getting better. Wallinder's skating his way toward a future in the third pairing, per Winging it in Motown's Kyle Kujawa, but he could be a sleeper for the top four.

This makes him one of the more interesting prospects to watch and try to pinpoint. Should he enjoy more of a breakout campaign in 2025-26, keep tabs on him. Wallinder could sidle in right behind Axel Sandin-Pellikka in these rankings when it's all said and done.

2- Shai Buium

Shai Buium's one of those prospects who doesn't get anough credit. He's got outstanding size, at 6'3, 220 lbs, and he was a bit of a playmaker last season, even if his playmaking has more than enough room to improve.

I'd like to see more physical play from Shai this season, and his game expand more offensively, especially as his role expands. If he does that, I will be more than interested to see if Shai can outperform William Wallinder. My projection? It'll be one neck-and-neck race.

1 - Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Because nobody else is, at this point, a better blueliner looking to break into the NHL. Axel Sandin-Pellikka's on the fast track to a debut, especially if he crushes it early in the AHL season in 2025-26.

This doesn't mean he'll jump to full-time status anytime soon, but don't be surprised when he's donning the winged wheel during games that actually matter. In the short term, he's locked in on the first pairing of the Griffins blue line.

But then again, maybe he'll bypass the AHL...In my eyes, it means I'll remove the 'prospect' label from him sooner than I thought.