Sahlin Wallenius had a great season last year. He played in three professional leagues (SHL, Allsvenskan, and Liiga) and in each, he produced as a defenseman. When he played in the junior league, he proved himself to be more gifted than the competition, scoring 14 points in eight games. His play this year was rewarded with an entry-level contract from the San Jose Sharks. While Sharks fans would hope to see the shifty, smooth-skating Swede in North America next year, Sahlin Wallenius will be on loan in the SHL. Watch for a big year from Sahlin Wallenius as he is primed for a breakout year in the SHL.

Sahlin Wallenius was drafted 53rd overall to the San Jose Sharks.

DRAFTPRO 2024 NHL DRAFT HOT TAKES

“The best defenseman from the draft will get picked outside the first round – There are heavy expectations on the defenseman going early in the first round and it can be expected that there will be several more taken after the first batch comes off the board. However, there are several defensemen that have a sneaky chance at being the best in the class when we look back years from now. Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Timur Kol, Alfons Freij, Colton Roberts are all high upside defenders that could figure into a top three role. Possible fallers such as Kiviharju, Hutson, Mews could develop into high caliber players as well.” – Colin Johnson

DRAFTPRO – 2024 7-ROUND CONTRIBUTOR MOCK DRAFT

36. Philadelphia Flyers (From CBJ) – Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D, Vaxjo U20 (J20 Nationell) SUMMARY: After watching a couple players fall out of the first-round the Blue Jackets decide to use their trade option to differ the second round pick that brought in Ivan Proverov from Philly last summer to the 2025 Draft, where they believe their team outcome will be better situated. With their selection they take the highly mobile Sahlin Wallenius, who possesses a great two-way game and could have the ability to fit nicely with Jiricek in the future. His puck skills and ability to impact both ends makes him a high ceiling pick, adding to the crop of CLB blueline prospects. – Colin Johnson

DRAFTPRO – 2024 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW – SWEDEN

#4 D, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Sweden (Vaxjo Lakers HC J20, J20 Nationell), 6’0”, 183, L, 04.10.206

DRAFTPRO – 2023 FALL INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT REVIEW

#4 D, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Sweden (Vaxjo Lakers HC J20, Sweden U18), 6”, 175, L, DOB 04.10.2006 Leo Sahlin Wallenius is considered to be one of the more complete defensemen that Sweden has to offer. He is one of those defensemen that’s toolbox is like a swiss army knife with the more useful tools being in the defensive end. Sahlin Wallenius is a mobile two-way defenseman who shows tremendous responsibility when it comes to positioning. One of his strongest tools is that he has a very active but very reliable stick as he will put his opponents into pretzels. His best aspect is his awareness as he understands when to stay in position properly or when it’s time to check after his opponent to retrieve the puck back. Some small inconsistencies in that aspect are he mainly needs to improve his physicality standards of boxing out his opponents’ preventing screens in-front of the goaltender. Some aspects in his skating that are good is that he has very smooth back skating and he does not choke up a lot when he is skating reverse considering he mostly places himself in good positioning to block shots or intercept passes. His mix of smooth transitioning and calm skating allows him to get out of dangerous situations. What is important for him that he needs to work on his acceleration and footwork speed. Even though his deking abilities are not the smoothest, he does not lose the puck very often due to his strong puck control. His strongest offensive asset however is his passing. Whatever pass that needs to be completed, he can get the job done, even the very far breakout passes, he can get it very close but most of the time get it on the tape. Where he lacks in his offensive category is his shooting as he needs to be better at shooting from the point. – Tyler Ballesteros-Willard

2024 NHL DRAFT – DRAFTPRO 2023 SUMMER INTERNATIONAL EVENT REVIEW

Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D, Sweden, 6’0”, 176, L, 2024 NHL Draft eligible.

Sahlin Wallenius is a skilled and mobile offensive defenseman who has made his mark this season by getting a ton of pucks toward high-danger areas. He’s fairly creative in the offensive zone and has flashed impressive playmaking. While that facet of his game is routinely outshone by his teammate Alfons Freij, it remains a key strength in his game. His feet are pacier than his mental processing at this stage, which makes inconsistent execution a hallmark of his game. In flashes, he anticipates play well, but small miscues in timing are quite common for him in the DZ. That said, his high stride rate and impressive agility allow him to recover from mistakes very quickly, which he is typically hasty to do. He’s learning to delay with the puck on his stick and let play develop when he has some space in dangerous areas, which is a promising progression on the offensive side of the puck. The defensive side of the game still needs more work as it is at times marred by hesitation and anxiety. He’s trying to get more involved physically to diversify his defensive impact, but it doesn’t project as an NHL strength yet. The upside is quite intriguing, especially offensively and as a carrier in transition, but the risk makes him a mid 2nd round valuation in our eyes.