William Wallinder has the tools, will he use them to reach the NHL?
William Wallinder was one of the most enigmatic players in the 2020 NHL Draft.
The tools were impossible miss. Simply put, very few 6-foot-4 defencemen moved like Wallinder. Combining fluid four-way mobility and explosiveness, he received one of the highest skating grades in the draft class from our scouting team. Most of the time, the hands were also able to keep up with the feet.
These tools were the main reason Wallinder looked like a borderline top-15 talent. At his worst, though, we debated whether he'd be a worthwhile project at all. The Detroit Red Wings were down to gamble and took him with the first pick of the second round.
Two and half years later, Wallinder has seemingly blossomed into his own in the SHL.
Last season, he already ranked in the top-three in scoring among under-23 d