“It’s been great,” Englund said. “The guys have been awesome taking me in and making me feel welcome. They’ve made sure that I’ve gotten up to speed with everything, and I’ve also been learning while I go. I think we’re getting better as a team, and definitely myself too.”
Englund made his NHL debut in 2016 with the Ottawa Senators, who originally took him in the second round (No. 40 overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. During various stints with the Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings in the seasons that followed, the 6-foot-4 blueliner built a reputation for being tough to play against and has shown a willingness to throw his weight around.
“I think it’s part of my game, so part of that comes natural,” Englund said of being physical. “But if I see an opportunity to hit, I don’t want to pass it off. I just try to make sure that I’m taking those opportunities.”
For the past seven games, Englund has been paired with another 6-foot-4 defenseman in Anton Johansson. During their time together, the duo has kept its approach straightforward.
“We’re trying to play simple and hard hockey,” Johansson said. “So, I think it’s been working pretty well. I feel like we’re just trying to do the same as we do every night. For me and (Englund), we’re just trying to get the puck to the forwards and let them do their jobs.”
Building chemistry as a defensive pair doesn’t happen instantly. Englund said it’s an ongoing process that starts with communication as players learn each other’s tendencies.
“Chemistry-wise, when you play with different guys, you need to talk a lot,” Englund said. “It’s harder when you swap around a little bit, but also I think we’ve been really good about it and have done a good job playing as some of the pairs that we have been.”
Englund has more than 200 NHL games under his belt now, but he remembers what it was like to be in Johansson’s skates as a rookie defenseman. Early in his career, the biggest adjustment was the speed of the game and the split-second decisions that come with it.
“You have to be really quick with the puck,” Englund said. “Just knowing where you move the puck to next, because there’s a guy on you all the time, so you have to make sure you know what you’re doing and that you’re quick.”
As Englund continues to build his game in Detroit, he’s appreciative to have McLellan back behind the bench – the two were together in Los Angeles for most of the 2023-24 campaign – and for the way the head coach leads a group.
“I think he’s great at the way he communicates,” Englund said of McLellan. “He knows when to push and when to give his tactics, like when to be hard and when to just teach us the game too. I think he’s got a good sense of what to do when.”
