The San Jose Sharks had a good mix of players drafted in the 2024 NHL Draft. While the big swings happened in the first round with the additions of Macklin Celebrini and Sam Dickinson, the most important moves of the draft may have happened in the second round. That’s when the team drafted potential power forward Igor Chernyshov at 33rd overall and then added defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius at 53rd overall.
In Dickinson and Sahlin Wallenius, the Sharks drastically improve a defensive prospect pool that was woefully lacking in talent. While Dickinson projects to be a top pairing defenseman, Sahlin Wallenius is close behind.
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 180 lbs.
Age/DOB: 18, April 10, 2006
Shoots: Left
Växjö Lakers HC J20: 43 games, 42 points (11 G, 31 A)
Sweden U18 WJC: 7 games, 3 points (0 G, 3 A)
Sahlin Wallenius hasn’t made the jump to the SHL yet. He’s still playing one level below the top level in Sweden, which means don’t expect to see him in North America anytime soon. That said, fans should still be excited about what the defenseman could bring to the Sharks when he finally makes the jump.
What do scouts say about Sahlin Wallenius’ game?
As Corey Pronman of The Athletic reported after the Sharks drafted Sahlin Wallenius, the team picked out one of the best skaters in the draft.
“Sahlin Wallenius isn’t the biggest defenseman but he’s a very solid two-way player who was the leading player on Sweden’s U18 team this season,” wrote Pronman. “He’s one of the best skaters in the draft. He has a powerful and efficient stride that allows him to easily evade pressure and skate pucks up ice. He closes on checks well and is great coming back on pucks in a way that should translate to pro hockey. Sahlin Wallenius has good hands and vision and can shoot the puck well, too, even though he doesn’t project as a major scorer at the higher levels. The sum of his parts looks like a regular NHL defenseman.”
As with most 18-year-olds, size is a factor. Steven Graves of McKeen’s Hockey writes that Sahlin Wallenius’ lack of bulk combined with his six-foot frame is hurting his defensive game.
“However, he needs to bulk up because he is very bad at defending in front of the net since he doesn’t yet have the strength to win battles against bigger players in front of the net,” wrote Graves. “Once there is sustained zone pressure, Sahlin Wallenius can be a detriment to his team because of how frail he can be at times.”
Frederik Frandsen of Last Word on Sports calls Sahlin Wallenius a “project,” although one with good upside.
“His offensive creativity is decent, and his game is reminiscent of Miro Heiskanen. However, the talent isn’t nearly at the level of the Finnish superstar. While he is awesome, he lacks the same physicality and great decision-making to really excel as a superstar,” wrote Frandsen. “He can also become overrun in his own run and is raw against rushes and speedy forwards. This makes Wallenius a long-term project, but he has the talent to be a solid top-four defenceman in the league, capable of being a great offensive power play weapon.”
Remember, this is a player that went late in the second round. That’s when there are larger flaws and teams are taking bigger swings with the hopes of finding a future NHL player.
What’s next for Sahlin Wallenius?
Sahlin Wallenius attended the San Jose Sharks prospect camp and is expected to return to Sweden and his team, Växjö Lakers HC J20, in the SHL, though he might jump to the highest tier this season.
Expect Sahlin Wallenius to take a similar route as fellow Sharks prospect Mattias Havelid, who was drafted 45th overall in the 2022 draft by the Sharks.
Havelid has played his first two seasons post-draft in the SHL, where he has continued to improve his game. He also represented Sweden at the U20 World Junior Championship. Havelid is expected to return to the SHL for his third post-draft season.
Don’t expect Sahlin Wallenius to jump to North America for another couple of seasons, if not more. He’s projected to be a top-four defenseman, though it may take some time to get there.
