The San Jose Sharks had a type when picking players in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, specifically when picking defensemen. The team went for large bodies for all of this year’s draft picks. None of them were sub-six feet. What’s more, all of the defensemen were smooth-skating defensemen with offensive upside. One of those defensemen is Leo Sahlin Wallenius, who registers as 15 on this year’s Top 25 Under 25.
Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 176 lbs.
Age: 18
Date of Birth: April 10, 2006
Draft Year: 2024 (53rd overall by San Jose Sharks)
Shoots: Left
2024-25 Team: Nybro Vikings IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
Sahlin Wallenius played for the Växjö Lakers HC J20 team for most of his 2023-24 season. That’s not bad for a kid who didn’t turn 18 until April. During his time with the Lakers, he had 42 points (11 G, 31 A) in 43 games. He added another three assists in five playoff games.
Sahlin Wallenius also played for Sweden’s U18 team, where he had 25 points (9 G, 16 A) in 28 games.
What’s interesting about his numbers is how much of a difference it is from his 2022-23 when he split time between the Växjö Lakers HC J18 and Växjö Lakers HC J20 teams. As a 16/17-year-old, Sahlin Wallenius wasn’t nearly as productive. In 50 regular season games, he had just 25 points (9 G, 16 A). What’s more, he had just 9 points (6 G, 3 A) in 14 games for Sweden’s U17 team.
Not only was Sahlin Wallenius playing against larger, tougher competition this past season, but he made a huge jump in offensive production leading into the draft.
What we like
A lot of the offense in Sahlin Wallenius’ game can be attributed to his skating. According to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, Sahlin Wallenius is an exceptional skater.
“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,” wrote Pronman.
Richard Jelinek of Inside the Rink says while Sahlin Wallenius isn’t the biggest defenseman, his skating helps make up for that.
“[H]e makes up for his lack of size with his top-tier playmaking and skating. He would be a nice addition to a team looking for a puck-moving defenseman who is dependable in his zone,” wrote Jelinek in a draft profile.
According to Sahlin Wallenius himself, he models his game after Miro Heiskanen.
Areas of improvement
Jelinek of Inside the Rink believes that the flaws in Sahlin Wallenius’ game are entirely fixable. Still, there’s something that he needs to work on.
“[H]is major flaw is that his puck control is not the best and is something to work on,” wrote Jelinek. “Often, he tries to do too much with the puck, careless at times when trying to look for the perfect play offensively. His puck control issues have led to turnovers with some of them being costly in the back of his goaltender’s net.”
As for Sahlin Wallenius, he told Keegan McNally of San Jose Hockey Now that his goal for the summer is to “Be stronger. Be stronger and play with more intensity.”
What’s next for Sahlin Wallenius?
Luckily for Sahlin Wallenius, he’ll have time to work on those skills with the Nybro Vikings IF of HockeyAllsvenskan. The Vikings are a second-tier Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team that will allow Sahlin Wallenius the space to make mistakes and grow. That said, he’ll get his first look at playing hockey against men with more experience and physically more prepared for the rigors of professional hockey. It will be a good opportunity for him.
As his game develops, look for him to move up to the top tier in the SHL and play for the Växjö Lakers.
Sahlin Wallenius is signed with the Lakers for the next two seasons, so it will be at least a few more years before he finds his way to North America.
Highlights
Since we talked about his smooth skating, check out these two clips from Lassi Alanen, the Director of European Scouting for Elite Prospects.
Leo Sahlin Wallenius (#2024NHLDraft) is among the smoothest skaters in the draft, and while I'm often left wanting him to push that advantage harder and attempt more plays, he can do pretty cool stuff from time to time. pic.twitter.com/iQmB4NFc1a
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) March 19, 2024
Leo Sahlin Wallenius, the newest SJS pick, is a plus-level skater with smoothness and strong edges. He can definitely pick corners with his shot, too.
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) June 29, 2024
The physical tools are definitely there, but the overall sense and assertiveness are potential issues.
Highlights: pic.twitter.com/pNjreM3Djn
