{"id":673378,"date":"2026-09-28T08:24:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T08:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/673378\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T08:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T08:24:17","slug":"sandin-pellikka-presents-conundrum-to-red-wings-dhn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/673378\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandin-Pellikka Presents Conundrum to Red Wings (DHN+)"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are compelling reasons why the Detroit<\/a> Red Wings should keep defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka<\/a> on the roster.<\/p>\n

The second-year rearguard is a dynamic offensive performer. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe does have that vision and those hands to create for teammates,\u201d Red Wings coach Todd McLellan<\/a> acknowledged.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Sandin-Pelllikka often looked overmatched defensively in his first NHL season. Ultimately, it led to him being reassigned to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Has his play without the pack advanced to a point where he can handle himself and be a capable NHL defender?<\/p>\n

Perhaps.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually think he\u2019s played better defensively as well,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cA couple of hiccups here and there, but he\u2019s no worse for wear than maybe some of our other D-men.\u201d<\/p>\n

So do all the variables add up to a place on Detroit\u2019s 23-player roster for Sandin-Pellikka when the season-opening lineup is announced on Monday?<\/p>\n

Maybe.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, they\u2019re going to pick a roster, and we\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d Sandin-Pellikka said. \u201cI\u2019m trying not to think too much about that. Just prepare for what\u2019s up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Sandin-Pellikka Should Make The Red Wings<\/p>\n

Sandin-Pellikka\u2019s offensive skill level is already elite. His two preseason goals emphasized that again. Both were impressive one-timers. <\/p>\n

\u201cAxe has some real special attributes,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cHis ability with the puck and his deception and power play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last season, Sandin-Pellikka was third among NHL rookie defensemen in goals (seven) and fifth in points (21), all while playing only 68 games. <\/p>\n

If he displays an uptick in that area, it\u2019s not inconceivable that four Red Wings defensemen could reach double digits in goals: Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson<\/a>, Justin Faulk, and Sandin-Pellikka.<\/p>\n

Faulk likes what Sandin-Pellikka can add to the Detroit rearguard.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can skate, he can move the puck, he can shoot it pretty well,\u201d Faulk said. \u201cHe\u2019s another exciting player to have in the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why ASP Won\u2019t be Staying in Detroit<\/p>\n

But will he be part of the mix? Variables are working against Sandin-Pellikka. <\/p>\n

The Wings gave Sandin-Pellikka some penalty-kill ice time in the preseason. At six feet and 189 pounds, he\u2019s not a beast of a defender. Positional play is important so that he\u2019s not outmuscled physically while defending. <\/p>\n

The numbers game also isn\u2019t working in Sandin-Pellikka\u2019s favor. He can go down to the minors without first clearing AHL waivers. <\/p>\n

He was minus-20 last season. The young Swede faces the challenge that all defensemen who enter the NHL must adapt to if they want to survive. Sandin-Pellikka must play well without the puck.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a hard league as a young D,\u201d Faulk said. \u201cWe\u2019ve all, as D, have been there. It takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faulk also recognizes there are elements to Sandin-Pellikka\u2019s game that few NHL defenders possess.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can\u2019t pick up on all the tendencies and stuff right away,\u201d Faulk said. \u201cBut when you have the base that he has of the skating and the ability and the vision and the playmaking and the shooting and whatnot, it allows him to get around the ice a little bit more and kind of get comfortable playing that style a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\"avatar\"<\/p>\n

\t\tBob Duff has worked in the sports media industry since 1984 and covered the Red Wings since 1988. As … More about Bob Duff<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are compelling reasons why the Detroit Red Wings should keep defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka on the roster. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":673379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[377],"tags":[4586,1511,93,5,4,1930],"class_list":["post-673378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hockey","tag-axel-sandin-pellikka","tag-detroit-hockey-now","tag-detroit-red-wings","tag-hockey","tag-nhl","tag-todd-mclellan"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/117347710983116696","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=673378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/673379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=673378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=673378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=673378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}