Sandin-Pellikka, Finnie, Brandsegg-Nygard, McLellan Media | Oct. 3, 2025

Sandin-Pellikka, Finnie, Brandsegg-Nygard, McLellan Media | Oct. 3, 2025

training camp and preseason in the NHL winds down. What what are the biggest takeaways you’ve gotten from this these last few weeks? Um it’s been a lot of fun. Um you know, I’ve been got to play with some some really good great players. Um playing against some good players, too. So, uh um good experience and I feel like I got them better and better. So, um yeah, it’s been fun. Do you feel you’ve acclimated better to the ice sheet? Uh yeah, of course. I mean, um what do I have playing now? like six preseason games. So, of course, it feels feels uh a lot more like home now. So, uh yeah, it feels good. What are some of the things you’re taking from the veteran defenseman that you’ve been playing with? Um like um I would say just keep the keep the game simple like from the own end. You don’t really need to pass the puck 15 times before setting it up. So just um get it down deep in their zone, get our forch going and just those kind of stuff and um just get these experiences playing play against these good teams. Uh yeah, definitely getting more confident as the days go on here. Uh yeah, of course. Uh yeah, as I said, I play with really good players. Uh they help me a lot, so uh they’re making it easy for me. What’s the feedback been like from the coaching staff to you? What have they liked and what have they wanted to see from you? Um, yeah, I haven’t really heard that much. I just go out and play. Uh, I guess, uh, that’s what they want. Uh, and just, uh, be good defensively, have a good stick. Uh, use my brain. Um, and then offensively, just keep doing what I’m doing. You obviously expected it to be playing against bigger players, faster players, better players here. Is there anything else, anything that that surprised you uh, during these preseason games or during camp here? Uh, not really. Um, I’ve been, you know, feeling good ever since, uh, you know, getting here. Uh, we’ve been scrimmaging since pretty much day one here. So, uh, you know, coming into games, uh, it’s been it’s been easier than expected. So, um, you know, I just go out there and try to play my game. What have been your your biggest improvements over the past year? Uh, gotten stronger. Uh, I guess that’s uh that’s the main part. Um, uh, I couldn’t say that I got any smarter. I’m still having the same brain, but I got a little stronger, so uh, I can use that. What stood out to you about Michael Francic knee guards camp? Um, yeah, he’s good. Got a pretty good shot. Uh, you know, I’ve been uh, yeah, since I got here August 17th, I’ve been living living with him. So, 40 days straight just in the same room. So, uh, I don’t know. I don’t want to make him too happy, but he’s a good player. Who cooks on the equipment in the place or do you go out to eat? We go out to eat. Now at the hotel, we don’t really have a have a kitchen. I came into camp feeling good. So, um I’m not surprised that where I’m at, I feel like um now I’ve just been building as the camp’s gone on and I’ve been feeling good. What’s the biggest thing maybe you take away from this experience? Um just being around like the pro and NHL like level of hockey. Um like you know yesterday playing against some of those guys you watch growing up. Um it’s pretty cool and just like seeing the details of all the guys has been has been the biggest thing. You uh he’s he’s played you at wing, center, up and down the lineup. How good is it just to have that that versatility and different experiences? Yeah, it’s huge. Um you know, in junior I played a lot of wing and center. So, um you know, I feel pretty comfortable in both both positions. So, um you know, I feel like I’m a guy he can play wherever I need to be. I mean, at this point in camp, I mean, just are you just feeling excited or whatever happens come these next few days, you’re just gonna take it with whatever comes or whatever? Yeah, I mean, I’m trying to take it day by day. Um, you know, obviously looking forward, it’s it’s exciting if, um, you know, I get to play in the NHL, but, um, you know, I’m just trying to take it day by day. And you talked a little bit about it in Texas, but your off seasonason, what did you do specifically or differently to prepare you for this camp opportunity? Um, lots of power skating. Uh, I feel like that definitely improved my stride. And then just overall strength. I feel like I I was in the gym a lot more this summer. And just, you know, getting that taste in the HL last year and what the, you know, the size and the speed of the players was was definitely huge for my offseason. In what areas of your game did you notice that you put in? Um, just like blowing in the corners and stuff. Um, you know, I feel more comfortable with the puck now and, you know, feel like I I have speed where I can beat guys now. So, um I feel like my my a little bit, but what have the conversations been like between Lucas and just on hand? Yeah, they’re both super helpful. Um you know, Lucas and and Dylan have been great so far. You know, just uh teaching me um you know, all the ways of the league and you know, where to be on the ice. They help me a lot. They talk a lot on the ice, which is great. And you know, they give me lots of pointers. So, uh they’ve been super helpful. I’m just happy for the opportunity they give me. What do you think has been the key to how much production you’ve been able to put up? I don’t know. I just go out there and play hockey and I’m playing with a lot of good guys. So, it makes it easy for me. Has to feel outstanding to still be here this late in the camp. And what’s that? It has to be feel really good to be still here this late in the train in the training camp. Yeah, of course you feel good, but I mean I haven’t make the team and so still working hard and yeah, just doing my best. What did you come into this camp wanting to show about your game? Just uh that I’m willing to play hard and wanted to win every game. So, I don’t know. You’re uh it’s your second camp in preseason in the NHL. just just how much more comfortable were you uh this camp and what did you take out of it uh maybe that you didn’t learn last year? I mean I’m more comfortable. I know the guys more than last year. Uh I know the game more. I played in GR last season in the playoffs. So I’m a little used to the hockey over here too. So just a little everything. You getting tired of moving with Axel or having fun still? If you ask ask the Axel, he probably say he’s tired of me. But I mean, it’s fun. It’s nice to have someone to talk to and yeah, I mean enjoy it. But uh I’m looking forward to get my own apartment soon or something. everywhere. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Thank you. Whoa. I’ll keep that one for later. I hope you guys are still singing to me in December. They had it feel pretty good the way you guys played last night, I would think. Yeah. Um, you know, that’s a real simple answer. We we go on the road, we play against a team that’s probably their opening night lineup and we we play well. Um, so that’s that’s the goal is to get better every day. Um, I thought there was a couple approaches we took to the game. One was individual approach and lots of times the team doesn’t do that but we um challenge the players to take their own inventory about where they are in camp and if they they feel good about their game, if there’s doubts in their game, um now is the time to get it fixed. And then we took it further and we talked about us. So the the I and us or you and us type situation where how do we feel as a group? Um are we happy with things that we’re doing on the ice? as groups of five or four on the penalty kill or whatever it might be. And if we are, great. If we’re not, then let’s let’s fix them and make sure we’re ready to go. Last night was a good sign. Um but where can we now do it back to back? Can we perform like that tomorrow night um against the same team? And then secondly, Ted, just the way some of these young kids continue to push Denny’s, Nygards, those kids, please. That’s got to give you hope for the near future and in the long term, I would think. Well, absolutely. It’s it’s been really fun to watch. It’s it’s energizing to see um you know that there’s three of them left here right now that to see those three, but there were some that were um also really close and and they’re going back to Grand Rapids. They’re going to work on their games and and um you know, we hope to see them at some point. Uh but that’s progress in the organization when that there’s youth knocking on the door. Um you know, you don’t like anybody playing in fear, but you like people being pushed. And I think some of our players right now are being pushed by uh the youth that’s coming in. And the really good thing about that is there’s no resentment right now on the club uh towards these three. the the leaders have opened up their arms and welcomed them. Usually that’s a sign that they believe um these individuals can help the team too. Um you know, so I tip my hat to all three of them. Now with that being said, we’re sitting here Saturday roster be announced Monday. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into that. I’ve spoke volumes about that. Um and um we’ll see where we’re at Monday when it when it’s announced. have the those three made I mean an imprint on the depth chart should something happen during the season. Is that fair to say? Oh, without a doubt. And and then like I said, there’s more uh I thought guys Ian Mitchell had a real good training camp. Uh Wallander got better as camp went on like and just quickly thinking of guys like they’re part of the depth chart. It’s not just these three. Um you know, unfortunately Maser gets hurt, Danielson gets hurt. Um, you know, it’s it’s tough when you have um, you know, when those players have those dreams and they’re close and then all a sudden an injury takes them out of it for a little while, but uh, it’s just testing their mental fortitude and their ability to recover and we’re not going to forget about them. They’re they’re important pieces. That play MBN made on the Brink goal. I mean, what does that say about him? That was well he was you know what he’s uh he like the rest of them is just getting better every night and um while he’s doing that I think we’re learning to appreciate him a little bit more for what he does do well. Um you know we have to pay attention to to his strengths like his physicality and his you know he can play as a bully a little bit. He’s got a tremendous shot. Um the the hunt mentality that that the team was trying to adopt he’s part of that. Um, and all of that went into that goal. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but it was something that um was created uh through some pace and some intensity uh by the three of them and he played a big role in it. Todd, regardless of how well some of these young kids look in preseason games and that, how much do you you have to take into consideration, well, where are they going to slot in and is it better for them to play regular more minutes and all situations down there as opposed to not as big a role here? Well, there’s um you know, there’s always that. Uh, of course you want younger players that are evolving and developing to play and experience um, you know, as much as they possibly can. Now, can that happen here? Can it can they get the minutes that they need? Potentially they can. Um, you know, so we’ve got to look at that part of it. We’ve got to look at their um, physical and mental uh, state as the as the days go on. Um, and then we have to figure out the roster. Not everybody can stay. We don’t we’re not allowed to have a 26 27 man roster. So, uh there’s there’s that part of it as well. In terms of where you’re at in that decision- making process with the roster, how much can one more preseason game, tomorrow’s game, impact what the decision is for the young guys that you’re talking about like the Pelicas and Phiney’s? Well, they you know, some of them have played six games. I think they’ll end up playing seven. That’s almost every night. Um, and their gas tanks were starting to fade a little bit. Um, we tried to get them a little rest. Um, and I thought they came back with a real good spark on um, whatever it was yesterday, Thursday night. You know, so this would be again a bit of a physical test for them and and that could be what we’re looking for here tomorrow. Can they maintain uh the grind? Um, can they keep their play at a at a high level? And we don’t expect them to be perfect every night. Uh but but can it affect the outcome of the uh of of their fate? Potentially, but not long term. Um you know, may mean a day or two here or there or a week or something like that. But long term, those those players are going to be uh part of this team and probably be impact players. I know a lot of coaches will talk about having a B game. Did Finny kind of show you through that grueling stretch that there is a little bit of a B game to to what he has? Yeah. And you think about us with EMTT, we’ve had him uh you know, we’ve had him all over the map. We’ve had him on wings. We’ve had him playing with u maybe top six players. We had him playing in the bottom six. We’ve had him playing center. He’s been on the power play, the penalty kill. And um you know his gas tank is um he runs on nitro I think because the the way he skates is just not regular premium and and when it gets down to premium um it’s probably harder on him but he’s such an efficient skater that you don’t notice it as much with him. Um Brance is is a heavier um guy and he’s a heavier skater. Not that that’s a bad thing and you notice it a little bit more with him. So, um, two different players, um, both have pretty good gas tanks. It’s just getting them the rest they need. And then with Sandy Pelica, what is what have you thought of how his defensive game has trended through camp and what is it going to look like just, you know, for a smaller guy? Like, what is he going to what’s it going to look like when he’s successful defending? Um, well, I I think I spoke to this a little bit earlier. Axe has some some real special attributes. We have to see that night after night like his ability with the puck and his deception and uh power play and and those types of things. Those have to show up and right and then he’ll work on the other parts of his game. Those other parts of his game have come along already I believe in in exhibition season. Um perhaps and he could only answer this question that he came in knowing that hey that’s what they’re going to be looking for and he just kind of played around that a bit. you know, I gota can’t make mistakes defensively. Now he’s just playing and he’s doing a good job at both ends. Tad, just to be clear, when you mentioned Maser, you’re talking about the injury from last season or did he get banged up? No, he got banged up a little bit. So, he hadn’t been skating, but but nothing serious. Just a day or two to to keep him out of the lineup. Um, he’ll be ready to start in G. Oh, yeah, he will be. So, same bruises you and I would get out there playing. So, nothing he’s not not like he’s been in the past. All good. Okay. Thank you for the the gift.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s practice on Friday October 3, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena.