William Wallinder got the nod over Axel Sandin-Pellikka in the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken, and things went well.
Detroit opened the season with Sandin-Pellikka firmly in the lineup, and Wallinder scratched. Four games later, Sandin-Pellikka’s ice time has dropped every time he’s played. Ultimately, the Red Wings scratched Sandin-Pellikka. Wallinder, meanwhile, got his chance and posted two points, one in each of his two contests.
Wallinder saw just 9:07 of ice time in his NHL debut on Tuesday vs. the Ottawa Senators. But he finished the contest with a plus-2 and an assist, making an immediate impact. Then on Friday, Wallinder swung around and scored his first career goal.
William Wallinder Has Been Productive With The Detroit Red Wings
Via NHL.com’s Dave Hogg, Wallinder had a hilarious quip to sum up scoring his first career goal. Wallinder said, “I was surprised because I didn’t see it go in. I thought someone had tipped it, but it is great to score an NHL goal.”
Wallinder wasn’t wrong to think that. Emmitt Finnie and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard were both near the front of the net. Finnie stuck his stick out, while Brandsegg-Nygard spun around right in front of the crease.
Still, further replay showed that the puck didn’t contact either stick. Wallinder ended the night with a goal, giving him two points in as many games. Wallinder’s ice time more than doubled, as he skated 18:16 in what was ultimately a blowout loss for the Red Wings.
Now that Wallinder is establishing himself, it’s time for the Red Wings to seriously consider having a conversation about keeping him in the lineup. At the same time, it’s perfectly reasonable to have a conversation about sending Sandin-Pellikka to Grand Rapids.
Making The Case For William Wallinder To Stay In Detroit
Sandin-Pellikka’s ice time has shrunk from 16:27 in the season-opening game vs. the New York Rangers to just 11:27 when the Red Wings defeated the Ottawa Senators. That’s already a telltale sign that something isn’t right.
It indicates that Sandin-Pellikka, while improved, still hasn’t shown he’s earned a full-time role in Detroit. Meanwhile, Wallinder’s point production and his jump in ice time show that he’s understanding and adapting in the season’s early stages better than Sandin-Pellikka.
This hasn’t, however, come with perfect play from Wallinder. He finished Friday night’s contest with a minus-2, and had a costly turnover that led to Mackie Samoskevich scoring the go-ahead goal for Seattle not even three minutes after Wallinder notched his first career goal.
But rookies will make mistakes, and that won’t be the last time Wallinder commits a turnover that leads to a goal this season. The sample size may be small, but it’s getting clearer by the game that Wallinder has been the more productive player.
It also doesn’t mean this should be set in stone. As of early Saturday morning, Sandin-Pellikka and Wallinder remain on Detroit’s big club. And until something changes, consider this battle between the two Swedes wide open.
We will wait and see what the Red Wings decide to do on Saturday night when they play their first road game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Red Wings Need To Have A Serious Conversation About William Wallinder