The final defenseman spot on the Detroit Red Wings opening night roster is up for grabs, and Anton Johansson has spent the preseason making it hard to hand the job to anyone else. The 22-year-old has not made his NHL debut yet, but he picked up another assist in Detroit’s 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

Anton Johansson Has Five Assists in Two Games

It is not a secret what Johansson has done over the last two games. He put up four assists in Detroit’s 7-4 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, then set up Axel Sandin-Pellikka’s first-period power-play goal against Buffalo on Thursday. That is five assists in two nights from a defenseman who has played in all three of Detroit’s preseason games.

Head coach Todd McLellan has already said Johansson has outplayed the rest of the field for that final spot.

The Red Wings close the preseason against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. It would be a shock if Johansson was not in that lineup.

Red Wings Fans Want Johansson on the Opening Night Roster

Many Red Wings fans want to see Johansson on the opening night roster with the way he has played in the preseason. Many of them were posting their feelings about it on X.

It will not be easy for the Red Wings organization to make a decision about whether or not Johansson will make the opening night roster. It is not as simple as him just being the sixth defenseman on the team.

The Waiver Math Complicates It

There is a chance Johansson does not make the opening night roster because he is waiver exempt. He would not have to clear waivers, and neither would Sandin-Pellikka, to be sent down to the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL.

William Wallinder and Jacob Bernard-Docker would have to go through waivers, as Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now reported. Detroit might be stuck keeping Wallinder or Bernard-Docker over Johansson because of that. However, if the Red Wings feel Johansson deserves a spot over both of them, they will try to make things work out.