The Detroit Red Wings have not set an opening-night defense corps. Todd McLellan’s latest camp experiment still carries real significance.
Albert Johansson is skating with Justin Faulk on Detroit’s second pairing, while Ben Chiarot has shifted to the third pair. The setup gives Johansson a chance to claim top-four minutes and puts an established veteran in a new position entering the preseason.
McLellan explained the thinking after practice.
“The two starting points of Albert’s season, he’s got better as it went along,” McLellan said. “He started a little bit slow. We want him to start fast, and we want to find out, make sure that he can handle those [top-four] minutes.
“We think that they’ll complement each other. And then Benny gets to go and play with whoever’s going to be on the [right side of the third pairing].”
Detroit is testing a possible answer to a meaningful roster question, not announcing a finished lineup. Still, Johansson’s placement gives him an opportunity that could reshape the defense.
Johansson Has a Top-Four Test
Johansson’s job is straightforward in theory and demanding in practice. He must prove he can handle the pace, matchups and decision-making that come with a larger role while maintaining the steady play that earned McLellan’s trust.
Faulk gives Johansson an experienced partner, and the pairing offers Detroit a chance to distribute minutes more effectively behind its top group. A successful trial would also give the Red Wings greater lineup flexibility, especially as the club continues sorting out Simon Edvinsson’s contract situation.
Johansson does not need to become a high-risk offensive defenseman to keep this role. McLellan’s comments point to a more practical standard: start faster, execute cleanly and show he can be trusted against better competition.
Detroit’s official roster shows no shortage of blue-line options. That depth makes this more than a courtesy look for Johansson. Camp and preseason performances will decide whether it becomes a real deployment choice.
Chiarot’s Move Is Not a Demotion to the Bench
Chiarot moving to the third pairing should not be read as a verdict on his value. It is a role change, and one that may better balance Detroit’s group if Johansson thrives with Faulk.
The veteran still brings physicality, experience and penalty-killing value. A third-pair assignment could also reduce the burden on him during five-on-five play while preserving his usefulness in matchups that call for a heavier presence.
McLellan also stressed that the competition behind Detroit’s established defenders remains open.
“It is going to be competitive,” McLellan said. “You know, we talk about Ax [Axel Sandin-Pellikka], we have a pretty good idea what he can do. [Jacob] Bernard-Docker gave us a good run of games last year, earned himself a contract.
“Then you bring in [William] Wallinder and [Anton] Johansson, who are on the cusp of being NHL players, in my opinion, and [Jacob] Bryson, who’s already played a bunch of NHL games. So there is some depth there.”
That competition is consistent with Shawn Horcoff’s view that Wallinder is among Detroit’s prospects positioned to take another step.
The Experiment Could Change Detroit’s Blue-Line Math
Johansson benefits most from this arrangement because top-four minutes would represent a tangible step forward in his NHL role. Faulk benefits by gaining a partner Detroit hopes can grow into more responsibility. Chiarot benefits if a more manageable five-on-five workload helps him remain effective over a long season.
The unanswered question is whether Johansson can make the coaches keep him there.
Detroit does not need to force a decision after one camp practice or one preseason game. It does need to find a defense alignment that holds up when the schedule becomes unforgiving. This experiment gives McLellan useful information, and Johansson now has a valuable chance to supply the right answer.
