Red Wings prospect William Wallinder focusing on personal growth

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have a rich history of finding great Swedish talent.

And for William Wallinder, being part of an Original Six franchise with such a strong connection to his native country is an exciting opportunity.
"I know about all the Swedish guys who have been here," said Wallinder, who was Detroit's 32nd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. "It's sick to be here as a Swedish guy."

As a 19-year-old, Wallinder led all U20 Swedish Hockey League defensemen last season with 19 points in 47 games for Rogle BK, earning the league's top U20 player award.
"It went just the way I wanted to," Wallinder said about his 2021-22 campaign. "I got my game going, my defensive game started to work out and went in the right direction."

Wallinder is the second straight Red Wings prospect to take home the honor, as Moritz Seider won the award in 2020-21
before making the jump to the NHL.
"I'm really comfortable," Wallinder said. "This last season, it felt like everything was coming into place."
Wallinder also praised Rogle teammate
Marco Kasper, who was Detroit's eighth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Like Wallinder, Kasper played well last season, recording seven goals and four assists in 46 SHL games.
"He likes to go straight to the net and be a little dirty in front of the net," Wallinder said about Kasper. "He's a tough guy to play against. He's really skilled, too."
When asked to describe himself, Wallinder said he is a "big defenseman with great skating."

"I like to carry the puck," the 6-foot-4, 191-pound blueliner said. "And lead offensive plays on the blue line."
And while Wallinder is confident in his skating abilities, he admitted he isn't ready for the North American-sized ice sheet just yet.
"I'm going to spend another year in Sweden with Rogle and hopefully I'll be ready after that season," Wallinder said. "It's hard to tell, but hopefully, (playing in North America) translates pretty easy, so it's like playing as usual."