Johansson building confidence, stepping up for Red Wings

DETROIT -- Albert Johansson is making a name for himself as a rookie defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings by forging his place.

Johansson is averaging 15:48 of ice time through 34 games this season, but that number’s increased (18:34) since Dec. 27 because the 24-year-old is being entrusted with more responsibility while helping fill a hole left on the back end with Jeff Petry sidelined due to an undisclosed injury.

“I just try to take advantage of that opportunity every day,” Johansson said. “It obviously helps to play with Simon [Edvinsson]. We’ve played before in Grand Rapids, so we know each other on the ice. I think that helps. When you play more minutes, you’re in the game more and your confidence is getting higher and higher. You start to feel more comfortable out there.”

On Jan. 23, Todd McLellan said, for him, the “biggest surprise” since becoming head coach of the Red Wings has been Johansson.

“I knew nothing about Albert,” McLellan said. “We get here and he’s kind of parked on the shelf, and everybody’s playing and we’re trying to figure players out. I think his rise has been remarkable, really, unless I underestimated him too, and that’s on me. He’s played steady in all three zones. There’s some fierceness in his game. When he gets engaged with bodies and battles, he wins a lot of them."

At 6-foot, 185 pounds, Johansson knows he’s got a smaller stature than most of the opposing forwards he faces on a nightly basis. But the young blueliner’s strong skating skills and puck-moving ability make a big difference.

“I’m probably not going to run guys over and hit into them,” Johansson said. “Just try to be smart out there and put myself in a good position, use my feet and try to use my stick a lot to dictate the play or where it can go.”

Johansson, who was selected in the second round (60th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, said being paired with a close friend in Edvinsson is also leading to more individual confidence and comfortability in the NHL.

“For us Swedish guys, moving over from Sweden isn’t easy,” Johansson said. “It’s nice to have Simon here but of course, all of the other Swedes too. I think our relationship outside the rink is really good. We get dinner, hang out and do stuff together. I think that all helps us on the ice because we know each other really well.”

Johansson said he’d been looking forward to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off Break, pointing out the opportunity to get a bit of a breather before he and the Red Wings return to game action on Feb. 22.

“It’s nice to get a couple days off to try to relax your body and brain,” said Johansson, who has also chipped in five points (one goal, four assists) for Detroit this season. “You can do something other than just think about hockey. You can reset your mind, come back and be well-rested to focus on the rest of the season. We’re in a good spot. A bunch of road games coming up, but I think we’re feeling good about playing on the road after our last road trip.”