Our latest prospect report takes a look at defenseman William Wallinder of MODO Hockey, who is eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft.
The 2020 NHL Draft is stock-piled with high-end talent. Each week, I will attempt to give you at least one scouting report on all the prospects you need to know! I’ve previously written deep-dives on Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Lucas Raymond, Cole Perfetti, Anton Lundell, Alexander Holtz, Tim Stutzle, Noel Gunler, Marco Rossi, Jamie Drysdale, and Hendrix LaPierre. Today, I’ll be looking at William Wallinder.
Before I begin, for those that don’t know, here’s how these scouting reports go. First, I will begin with some general background information and statistics. Then I will break down the player’s tendencies, habits and roles on special teams.
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Following that up, I will break down the positives and negatives in the prospect’s game. Finally, I will look at what I feel is the player’s potential, as well as his NHL-readiness.
Background
Wallinder, born July 28th, 2002, in Sollefteå, Sweden, is a left-handed defenseman for MODO Hockey in Allsvenskan. The 17-year-old Swede is a big body, at 6’4″ and 192 pounds. He has been ranked all over the place in this draft, as he’s ranked 19th by HockeyProspect.com, 49th by Future Considerations, and 23rd by Elite Prospects.
In the 2018-19 season, when he was 16, he began making noise. He split between 3 leagues, starting with the U-18 Elit league with MODO Hockey, where he recorded four goals and 12 points in 16 games.
Wallinder moved his way up and played in the Allsvenskan U-18 league with MODO Hockey, recording two goals and six points in 12 games. Finally, he played two games in the U-20 SuperElit league, again for MODO Hockey, recording one assist in those two games.
In 2019-20, Wallinder again split between three leagues. He started with the U-18 Allsvenskan league with MODO, where he recorded a five assist game and was immediately moved up. In the U-20 SuperElit league with MODO, he posted five goals and 24 points in 37 games. Finally, he got a shot with MODO’s Allsvenskan team, which is a level below the SHL, which is Sweden’s top league. In Allsvenskan, Wallinder posted two assists in 18 games.
His point production is extremely promising moving forward, and he has been one of the biggest risers in this draft class. However, he only recently got a shot in Allsvenskan, while other top Swedish prospects have been playing in the SHL this year. But because of how bare the talent is on the blue line this draft year, Wallinder’s success should warrant a first-round selection.