Red Wings prospect defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka is tied for the lead in tournament scoring at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa, but Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala suggests that the Team Sweden captain is in fact an “under-the-radar prospect” in an article posted today:
Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Five-foot-10, 180 pounds, right-shot defenceman, Team Sweden
NHL Draft: Detroit Red Wings, 1st round, 17th overall, 2023
Sandin-Pellikka is leading the tournament scoring with four goals and four assists after the preliminary round. He’s averaging over 21:00 in total time on ice and being deployed in all situations. Sandin-Pellikka is a right-shot “transitional defenceman” and power-play quarterback. He’s quick, agile and elusive escaping pressure from opponents. On the power play, he has free reign to walk the blue line, travel in and out of traffic, and work the puck from both sides of the offensive zone.
Sandin-Pellikka plays in Sweden’s top pro league, the SHL, and leads all defencemen in scoring with eight goals and 14 assists suiting up for Skelleftea AIK. He’s not a big body but his hockey sense and ability to jump to space ahead of his opponent allows him to defend with purpose and execution.
Continued; I’m not certain that the radar is doing anything less than working just fine in terms of Sandin Pellikka’s level of awareness in the hockey community…
