The Red Wings are admittedly leaving Axel Sandin Pellikka in Sweden for one more season for a simple reason: he’s going to play significant minutes for his SHL team (Skelleftea AIK) this upcoming season, which might not have been the case if he joined the defensive logjam in Grand Rapids.
This morning, the Free Press’s Helene St. James profiles Sandin Pellikka, letting his comments from the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp last month speak for him:
“It’s nice to be home another year,” the Detroit Red Wings’ first-round pick from 2023 said. “I know the coaches well and I know my teammates well. We have a good team, too. So, just stay home and develop for another year.”
Sandin Pellikka explained his decision while at development camp in early July at Little Caesars Arena. It was his second time at the annual event, following his debut last summer, days after the Wings chose the Swedish defenseman at No. 17 overall in the NHL draft. (The Wings chose forward Nate Danielson with their first pick, at No. 9.)
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The road for now keeps Sandin Pellikka in Sweden, and that suits the Wings. Seider and 2020 first-round pick Lucas Raymond both developed there, as did 2022 first-round pick Marco Kasper. The SHL is an elite league, loaded with skilled veterans, including former NHLers. Sandin Pellikka, 19, already showed his comfortability with the league by posting 18 points in 39 games with Skellefteå AIK in 2023-24, then went on to help his club win the SHL championship. He also starred for Sweden on the international stage.
“Axel was one of Sweden’s most important players on defense,” assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said. “He’s going to play quite a bit in Skellefteå, they’re going to have a good team. He’s going to run the power play, going to play quite a bit with the puck. Axel is a really smart player, moves well. We just don’t see the harm in it. No sense rushing him.”
Continued (paywall); as St. James notes, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard will be playing alongside Sandin Pellikka this upcoming season…
And between Niklas Kronwall (director of European player development) and Nicklas Lidstrom (vice president of hockey operations), the Red Wings will have a pair of pretty good defensemen who represent the Red Wings watching him.
Henrik Zetterberg isn’t officially with the Red Wings right now, but he’s seen with Kronwall watching SHL games from time to time, too, so he’ll be watching Sandin Pellikka when Skelleftea comes to southern Sweden (where Zetterberg lives).
