Red Wings: Predicting the future of the organization’s defensemen

Tier 2: Detroit Red Wings defense prospects with second pairing outlooks

This group of defenseman is not the top of the group but not the lowest in the group. These guys will ideally find homes on the second pairing; one of them could slide to the top pairing if other prospects do not work out. However, it seems the second pairing might be set with some of these players.

Albert Johansson

One of the players the Red Wings brought in more recently is Albert Johansson. Now he has not made the cross over to North American hockey from the Swedish league, but he has plenty of tools. He is more of a pass-first defenseman who moves the puck well and plays suitable defense.

He could easily slot into the second pairing in the future if he can translate his talent to North American hockey. Johansson is someone who is yet to prove himself, but based on his talent level in Sweden, he could provide some pass-first offense on the blue line and also be a help in the defensive zone.

Jared McIsaac

Setbacks have limited the buzz and excitement around Jared McIsaac, who was finally getting things underway during the 2020 season before the COVID-19 outbreak shut things down. McIsaac should leave fans excited and hopeful as he finds his way into the Red Wings system.

At the minimum, McIsaac has developed his skill set to be more than just a shutdown defender. He has incredible decision-making skills on the back end, as well as a developing shot that looks to be a weapon from the point.

He has the potential to be a two-way defenseman who could play on the top pairing if something were to go wrong with one of the top prospects. McIsaac will shut things down defensively but also seems to have some sneaky offense to him that will make him a phenomenal 3-4 defender.

Antti Tuomisto

One of the players who still have a lot of question marks surrounding him is 2019 second-round selection Antti Tuomisto. He has not signed his entry-level contract with the organization and most likely will not be signed for at least a year or two due to an NCAA commitment.

Tuomisto is committed to playing for the University of Denver at the NCAA level; his skills come in the offense category. He possesses a strong shot that he can be quite accurate with, getting pucks on net. He will be a later addition to the system but could be a future second pairing defenseman.