Mid-summer is usually a time for list-making in the hockey world, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen has compiled a list of his top 10 Detroit Red Wings prospects, including their estimated time of arrival on the Wings’ NHL roster. It’s a subscriber-only story, however, so here’s a peek behind the paywall:
1. Defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka (17th, 2023)
The hope that Sandin Pellikka could come to Red Wings training camp, win a job and become a puck-moving defenseman like Quinn Hughes has been washed away by a more realistic appraisal. He’s still an elite prospect, certainly one of the best defensemen Sweden has produced. He could still make the Detroit roster.
But the more likely scenario is that ASP will spend some time figuring out the North American game in Grand Rapids. After about 20 games, we will have a better handle of whether he’s ready for this jump.
“I think it was great that Axel came over at the end of his season to play some games in Grand Rapids to get a feel mostly for playing more games at the pro level on the North American ice surface,” GM Steve Yzerman said. “I think it was enlightening for him. Maybe eye-opening a little bit. It’s a little smaller ice, faster game, albeit it’s only the American League, not the NHL, which is even faster that it’s a different game than in Europe. And he’s got some work to do. And if he works, and we’re expecting him to, and I believe he is, really has a good summer, gets a little bit stronger, a little bit quicker and that’ll help him prepare himself for a good training camp and preseason. But he’s really going to have to just force his way into the lineup. “
Continued (paywall); there’s an honorable mention as well…
