Sandin-Pellikka in “really good development position” for Red Wings

DENVER — The Detroit Red Wings attach great importance to giving promising talents the opportunity to gain experience in the Swedish hockey league.

From Stanley Cup winners like Nicklas Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg to current Red Wings Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, Detroit’s last 30 years have been marked by players who cut their teeth in the SHL.

That’s why it’s no surprise that the Red Wings are happy to have Axel Sandin-Pellikka return home for the 2024-25 season. Their second pick in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft – selected No. 17, eight spots after they took forward Nate Danielson at No. 9 – scored 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 39 games for Skelleftea, which won the SHL title, last season.

“Winning the Swedish championship was one of my dreams,” Sandin-Pellikka said last month at Detroit’s development camp. “It’s hard to complain about a season where I was able to experience that.”

The 19-year-old defenseman also scored six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games for Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, including an overtime goal that took Sweden to the semifinals against the Czech Republic before losing 6-2 to the United States in the gold medal game.

After those performances, the Red Wings are confident he can handle himself in the American Hockey League this season, but they would rather have him play a big role in Skelleftea than fight for ice time in Grand Rapids.

“He’s going to play quite a bit on a good team,” said Dan Cleary, Detroit’s assistant director of player development. “He’s going to run the power play and play a lot with the puck.”

“He could easily come over and play in Grand Rapids, but Skelleftea is a really good place to develop in a good league and a good city.”

Sandin-Pellikka will also gain experience playing with a teammate he hopes to be on the ice with for years to come: forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who was selected by the Red Wings with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

“It will be nice to be home for another year and we will go for gold,” said Sandin-Pellikka. “I know the coaches, I know my teammates and we have a good team, so I will stay and develop for another year.”

Sandin-Pellikka has already demonstrated the offensive skills that led to Detroit’s selection, but he said he still needs to work on himself at the other end of the ice.

“I’m trying to improve my defensive game,” he said. “After training, the coaches always have me defend a few strikers in the corners at home. That’s what I’m working on.”

That’s exactly what the Red Wings want.

“Axel is a very smart player and moves well, but it’s difficult for a defenseman to play a lot in Grand Rapids,” Cleary said. “We don’t see any harm in keeping him at home. There’s no point in rushing him.”