The Detroit Red Wings have drafted defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
With their second pick of the first round, the #LGRW select Axel Sandin Pellikka 17th overall! #2023NHLDraft
🔗: https://t.co/7rVdAIcqNp pic.twitter.com/ISnYw9sk8W— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) June 29, 2023
With the 17th pick in the 2023 NHL Entry draft, the #LGRW select… Axel Sandin Pellikka !
D • 5’11 • 180 lbs
Last season with Skellefteå AIK U20 (SWE-JR)
31 GP • 16 G • 20 A • 36 P
Listen Live 🎧 https://t.co/C81TUUvLIP pic.twitter.com/d0ScyMfeNK— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) June 29, 2023
Welcome to the NHL, Axel. 👊
The Red Wings have selected Axel Sandin Pellikka with the No. 17 pick in the #NHLDraft.#LGRW | @BallySports pic.twitter.com/c85TLJIZDn— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) June 29, 2023
https://t.co/lB3yJeaYy3— FCHockey (@FCHockey) June 29, 2023
So, to recap, Red Wings use the first pick they got for Filip Hronek on a new offensive-minded young RHD in Sandin Pellikka— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) June 29, 2023
The Detroit Red Wings select Axel Sandin Pellikka with the 17th Overall Pick in the 2023 #NHLDraft. 👏 pic.twitter.com/uYM6U6SyTQ— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 29, 2023
For TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button, Sweden’s Axel Sandin Pellikka is the best blueliner available in the 2023 NHL Draft https://t.co/OrpF9n2J7f #drw #NHLDraft2023— Sarah Lindenau (@Lindy72) June 29, 2023
With the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft the Detroit Red Wings have selected defenceman Axel Sandin Pellikka of Skellefteå AIK! pic.twitter.com/5pr0Qmekj2— Complete Hockey News (@CompleteHkyNews) June 29, 2023
With the 17th pick in the 2023 #NHLDraft, the @DetroitRedWings select @Trekronorse‘s Axel Sandin Pellikka pic.twitter.com/hEmrxMJbta— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 29, 2023
The Detroit Red Wings select Axel Sandin-Pellikka with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. pic.twitter.com/HUeIgoi4q8— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 29, 2023
The Detroit Red Wings have selected defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft #LGRW pic.twitter.com/sHPiCeiIx5— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) June 29, 2023
https://t.co/2Knvp8koDA #drw #NHLDraft2023— Sarah Lindenau (@Lindy72) June 29, 2023
Axel Sandin Pellikka tells Emily Kaplan he spoke with the Red Wings’ Swedish scouts a lot. He’ll play in the SHL next season and figure it out after that.
“I’ve had great talks with Detroit before and had a great feeling when they were coming up to pick.”— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) June 29, 2023
They got his name plate to fit on the back, that deserves 👏 pic.twitter.com/n644pYIj9Y— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 29, 2023
Grattis Axel Sandin-Pellikka!
Backen från Skellefteå som spelat U18-VM och JVM för Sverige valdes som nummer 17 i NHL-draften 2023 av Detroit Red Wings. @skelleftea_aik @DetroitRedWings @NHL #nhldraft pic.twitter.com/u6KYbfOc6H— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) June 29, 2023
The top defender at the #U18MensWorlds, Axel Sandin Pellikka is ready for the next step with the @DetroitRedWings pic.twitter.com/KTe8RVzVSy— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 29, 2023
#NHLDraft2023 pic.twitter.com/nYNgAXtvoD— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) June 29, 2023
With the 17th pick in the 2023 #NHLDraft, the #RedWings select…
Defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka! #DRWDraft pic.twitter.com/Xdyo6FEbDI— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 29, 2023
The Red Wings picked Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
He is 5’11” and is taken with the pick the Wings got in the Filip Hronek trade. pic.twitter.com/7oedOTK98i— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 29, 2023
In text form, from The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler:
Ask Axel Sandin Pellikka if he expected this, and he’ll chuckle and shake his head.
This was an emergence as the consensus No. 2 D prospect in the 2023 NHL Draft. This was 22 games played and five points under his belt in the SHL as a 17-year-old. This was winning the Defenceman of the Year award at Sweden’s J20 level, where he played to above a point per game and half a goal per game as the most productive defenceman in the country’s top junior league. This was playing in the world juniors as an underager — as a go-to guy when it mattered most in a pair of high-stakes overtimes no less. This was winning the directorate award as the top defenceman at U18 worlds, guiding Sweden to silver and registering 11 points in seven games while playing huge minutes.
This was finishing at No. 7 on NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of the top European skaters eligible for June’s draft in Nashville.
He didn’t expect any of that. Not even close.
“No, not at all,” he told The Athletic when asked, laughing. “I mean, I wouldn’t say I had a weak year the year before but I was pretty shocked. My goal was to play good minutes in the U20 league and maybe, maybe if I was lucky I got to do an SHL debut. I’m pleasantly surprised that it has gone so good.”
pic.twitter.com/e2LYDcM1FA— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) June 29, 2023
Axel Sandin Pellikka #2023NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/qGcvNNJWhH— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) December 10, 2022
Quick overview of Sandin Pellikka:
– undersized but strong skating, highly skilled offensive defenseman
– 5 goals and 16 assists through 16 games in 2023 U18 WJC
– named Defenseman of the Year in Sweden’s junior league AND most goals as a defenseman in his league
– huge upside!! pic.twitter.com/MgxSw3pHRY— Delaney Rimer (@delaneydrw) June 29, 2023
Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala weighed in…
Sam Cosentino on the player: A noted two-way defenceman, Sandin-Pellikka was lauded for his work at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky, where he had just two assists, but played top-four minutes for Sweden. He tracked well in both the Four Nations in November and the Five Nations event in February, amassing a combined eight points in seven games.
In league play, ASP dominated the U20 loop averaging over a point per game for Skelleftea, scoring 16 goals and earning Defenceman of the Year honours. His fine play earned him a number of stints in the SHL, where his minutes were down, leading to just five points in 22 games.
His closing act may have been his finest. Sandin-Pellikka finished the season on top of is game, collecting the top defenceman award at the U18 worlds. Of his 11 points in that event, five were accumulated in an 8-0 win over Canada to open the tournament. He’s great at manoeuvring along the offensive blue line to find holes in which to get pucks to the net. He plays with great poise, and is smart enough to know what to do with the puck, managing it well in all zones.
Jason Bukala’s scouting report: Transitional, two-way defenceman who can lead the rush on his own or distribute and join as an extra layer.
Elite skater. Quick and agile. PP quarterback. A mostly area defender who relies on an active stick and his jump to space. Arrives ahead of opponents and moves pucks effectively.
Leans top pairing NHL defenceman on projection.
And TSN’s Craig Button said the following to Brianne Spiker:
“He’s the best defenceman in the draft,” said Button. “And he’s just continuously showed me that. I watch the poise, the ability to control the game in every single zone, and seemingly do it with a calm and an ease that is eerily reminiscent of [Hockey Hall of Famer] Sergei Zubov.
“He’s not going to overwhelm you with his blazing skill or any blazing quality, but his brain is advanced, massively.”
The Gallivare, Sweden native played 22 games in the Swedish Hockey League this season with Skelleftea AIK where he had five points. In J20, he scored 16 goals with 36 points in 31 games. He also skated for Sweden at the 2023 World Juniors, leading the Swedish defence in average ice time (19:54) as a 17-year-old.
Another defenceman making a rise up the rankings is Sandin Pellikka’s countryman Tom Willander, who jumps up from No. 16 to No. 8. Willander had four goals and 25 points in 39 games with Rogle BK J20 this season. In seven games at the U18s, he scored three goals (tops among defencemen) and had eight points.
With the 17th pick in the #NHLDraft, Steve Yzerman added another Swedish defenseman in 18-year-old Axel Sandin Pellikka.#LGRW | #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/4D5mILxVRg— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) June 29, 2023
Axel Sandin-Pellikka’s connecting flight to Nashville was cancelled. Drove 15 hrs with his agent & brother. His parents & grandparents were behind them. He recently got his license & if he went over the speed limit, his mom would call his agent to tell him to slow down. 🤣 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/t58zfMRqSV— Julie Robenhymer (@JulieRobenhymer) June 29, 2023
Here’s the Red Wings’ press release…
RED WINGS SELECT DEFENSEMAN AXEL SANDIN PELLIKKA 17TH OVERALL IN 2023 NHL DRAFT
… Second-Ranked International Defenseman Played With Sweden’s Skellefteå AIK in 2022-23 …
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today selected defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka in the first round (17th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Sandin Pellikka spent part of the 2022-23 season with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League, recording five points (2-3-5) and a plus-two rating in 22 games. His five points were the most of any defenseman 18 years of age or younger in Sweden’s highest professional league. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound blueliner logged a plus-one rating and two penalty minutes in seven Champions Hockey League games, helping Skellefteå AIK reach the quarterfinals of the competition. Additionally, Sandin Pellikka was named the best defenseman in Sweden’s top junior league after racking up 36 points (16-20-36), a plus-15 rating and 64 penalty minutes in 31 games with Skellefteå AIK’s under-20 team, along with one assist in two postseason appearances. He also contributed three points (2-1-3) in five playoff games with Skellefteå AIK’s under-18 squad. Sandin Pellikka entered tonight’s draft ranked second on NHL’s Central Scouting list among international defensemen.
A native of Gällivare, Sweden, Sandin Pellikka split the 2021-22 campaign between Skellefteå AIK’s under-20 and under-18 teams. He tallied three points (1-2-3), a plus-three rating and six penalty minutes with the under-20 group, in addition to 21 points (9-12-21) and 12 penalty minutes in 30 contests at the under-18 level. Sandin Pellikka has developed with Skellefteå AIK since 2019-20, notching 39 points (17-22-39), a plus-18 rating and 70 penalty minutes in 45 games at the under-20 level, 22 points (9-13-22) in 40 games with the under-18 team and 12 points (3-9-12) in 24 games for the under-16 squad.
On the international stage, Sandin Pellikka represented Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship tallying one assist and six penalty minutes in seven games. He earned a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, compiling 11 points (2-9-11) and a plus-eight rating in seven appearances. Sandin Pellikka also won a silver medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, dishing out two assists in five games.
Detroit currently has eight picks for the second day of the 2023 Entry Draft: three in the second round (41st, 42nd and 43rd), one in the third round (73rd), one in the fourth round (117th), one in the fifth round (137th), one in the sixth round (169th) and one in the seventh round (201st).
And…
🔴⚪️ @Axel_Pellikka ⚪️🔴 #DRWDraft pic.twitter.com/DYoXeN93at— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 29, 2023
Sup, @Axel_Pellikka! #DRWDraft pic.twitter.com/aqsvFyr88F— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 29, 2023
