After making an impression at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, quite a few scouts put Wallinder high up on their lists. His size and skating made him stand out from his peers. However, when scouts studied him in Sweden during the season, they must have wondered what had happened to him.
Modo’s under-20 team had a terrible defence, and Wallinder couldn’t stabilize it, a feat that would have been expected from a high draft pick. This meant that his stock fell throughout the season. The fall stopped when Wallinder was called up to the main team and didn’t look as lost as he had in the minor league.