Sandin Pellikka May Make Late Season Red Wings Appearance

As Axel Sandin Pellikka’s Swedish Hockey League season draws closer to its end, his Detroit Red Wings career moves closer to launch.

The Red Wings may give the dynamic Swedish defenseman games in Detroit if his SHL competition finishes before the NHL season ends. Sandin-Pellikka’s Skelleftea team’s regular-season ended today with 6-1 over Modo. Sandin Pellikka had an assist. Skelleftea will play Farjestad in the playoffs starting March 21, and would end April 1 if it goes seven games.

The Red Wings play their final regular-season game on April 17.  If Skelleftea is ousted in the first round of the playoffs, NHL games for Sandin-Pellikka can happen.

“It’s a possibility for sure…  but what I prefer to say is, we historically, it’s been done with players under contract and whatnot once their season’s over,” GM Steve Yzerman said. “Out of respect to him and his team, they’re focused on making the playoffs, having a good, run and we’ll see what happens once this season’s over. We can…It’s definitely something to consider.”

Skelleftea (25-21-3-3) is in fifth place.  Presuming the team doesn’t make an extended run in the SHL postseason, at the very least, he should be able to play in the AHL playoffs.

The Grand Rapids Griffins season ends April 19, and their playoffs start around April 21.

Given that Sandin Pellikka recently set a new SHL record for most goals (12) by a teen-age defenseman, it seems likely that he will be playing next season for either Detroit or Grand Rapids.

National Team?

He could be considered to play for the Swedish National Team at the World Championships, but the Swedes will have many NHL players from which to choose.

“I would say (Sandin Pellikka) is a long shot,” Sweden coach Sam Hallam told Detroit Hockey Now. ” We’re looking at having some really good players with NHL experience playing.”

But Hallam is certainly impressed with ASP.

“He’s an exceptional talent. Maybe we had a chance to try him in a national team here,” Hallam said. “We have a couple of tournaments before the worlds, so we didn’t want to touch him before the world Junior, so we can keep focusing on that. But if he plays his best hockey, there’s a chance.”

As is the case with most young defenseman, he needs work on his one-on-one defensive ability.

Quick Feet

“Still he moves fantastically well,” Hallam said. “He plays the game with a puck skill that is fantastic. I think he still has some maybe steps to take in his defensive game here and there. So hopefully the Red Wings have a good plan for him. But you can also see that a couple of the top Ds in this league now aren’t that big. They play with their feet and their talent. And I think he’s up there where he should be able to be a top D in this league.”

The fact that Sandin-Pellikka is a right shot makes him even more desirable.

“He moves,” Hallam said. “It’s his feet. And then I don’t know him personally, but he looks like he’s just loves to play. He steps on the ice and he wants to have the puck and he wants to make plays. That’s probably the biggest talent you can have.”