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Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Red Wings Assign Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Axel Sandin-Pellikka To AHL

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As expected, the Red Wings announced 2023 and 2024 first-round picks Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård will finish the season with AHL Grand Rapids. The pair spent the season as teammates on Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.

The duo’s season came to an end when Skellefteå lost their semifinal series against Brynäs IF in five games. They were both important players for the club, but the older Sandin-Pellikka was particularly impactful. Wrapping up his second full SHL season and third overall, he tied for fourth on the team in scoring and ranked second among Skellefteå defenders with 12-17–29 in 46 games. His season culminated with leading U-20 SHLers in goals and points and taking home the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year award. He was also named the top defenseman at the World Juniors for the second year in a row, posting 10 points in seven games while serving as Sweden’s captain.

Ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the league and the No. 1 prospect in the Red Wings’ system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, Sandin-Pellikka is nearly a shoo-in for next season’s opening night roster as the second or third right-shot option behind Moritz Seider. Before doing so, the 5’11”, 185-lb rearguard will get a taste of North American pro hockey in Grand Rapids with the Calder Cup Playoffs-bound Griffins.

Not to be overlooked is Brandsegg-Nygård. Detroit made him the highest-drafted Norwegian in NHL history when they selected him 15th overall last year out of Mora IK of the Swedish second-tier league, the HockeyAllsvenskan. The Wings inked Brandsegg-Nygård to his entry-level deal last summer and loaned him back to Sweden to face some higher-level professional competition in a familiar environment.

A physically involved winger with a scoring touch, the 6’1″, 207-lb Brandsegg-Nygård managed 5-6–11 in 42 regular-season SHL games with a team-high 51 PIMs. He ended the season more optimistically, contributing 4-2–6 in 11 postseason games. He checked in as the No. 2 prospect behind Sandin-Pellikka in Wheeler’s midseason rankings and, while his NHL status for next season isn’t as certain, should at least make the jump to North America on a permanent basis and get heavy deployment in Grand Rapids. The end of this season will provide him with an early tune-up/adjustment period ahead of a pivotal 2025-26 campaign for his development.

Atlantic Notes: Sandin-Pellikka, Hakanpää, Link

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Red Wings top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka will finish out the season with either Detroit or AHL Grand Rapids but doesn’t know exactly when he’ll join the team, he told Hans Abrahamsson and Jonatan Pinheiro Diamant of Aftonbladet.se. The 20-year-old has already signed his entry-level contract, is the Red Wings’ top-ranked prospect overall, and is widely expected to be on the team’s opening night roster in 2025-26. His Swedish Hockey League club, Skellefteå AIK, was eliminated by top-seeded Brynäs IF in the playoff semifinals today. He led U-20 SHLers in goals (12) and points (29) in his third season at the top level of Swedish hockey. While the Red Wings’ playoff hopes are slim to none, Grand Rapids has clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and he could be an impact addition there.

Other items of note out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Could injury-plagued defenseman Jani Hakanpää be an option for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs? The defender remains hopeful he can suit up again for Toronto and says his recovery from continued knee problems is “trending really good,” per Evan Doerfler of The Hockey News. Hakanpää, whose 2023-24 season ended prematurely due to arthroscopic knee surgery, only got into a pair of games for Toronto in November as he continues to deal with lingering issues. The 6’7″, 225-lb Finn will be a UFA this summer after signing a one-year, $1.47MM deal with the Leafs late in the summer after a drawn-out saga.
  • The Bruins have invited Colorado College winger Bret Link to this summer’s development camp, per Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Development camp invites are routinely an indication a team is considering signing an undrafted free agent to an entry-level contract but isn’t ready to do so yet. In NCAA players’ case, they can’t sign before ending their collegiate career. Link, 23, has 11-25–36 in 72 games with Colorado College over the last two seasons. The Alaska native stands at 6’3″ and 196 lbs and could opt to turn pro if his offense continues progressing upward in his junior season.

Atlantic Notes: Hakanpaa, Sandin Pellikka, Beecher

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While committing to signing defenseman Jani Hakanpaa on the opening day of free agency, the Maple Leafs have yet to formally register a contract; GM Brad Treliving indicated earlier this week that they’re still working through things.  Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reported on his podcast (video link) that the blueliner believes that he can play with his current condition on his knee but that the viewpoint isn’t exactly unanimous when it comes to medical opinions.  The 32-year-old played in 64 regular season games with Dallas last season before undergoing knee surgery that kept him out for the rest of the year and playoffs.  With the uncertainty about his health becoming more widely known, this may be a situation where the two sides ultimately settle on a one-year deal after agreeing to terms on a two-year pact originally.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Despite recent speculation to the contrary, Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka will not attend training camp with Detroit next month, relays Norran’s Robin Lindgren. The 19-year-old was the 17th pick in the 2023 draft and is coming off a solid showing with SHL Skelleftea, notching ten goals and eight assists in 39 games, impressive numbers for a young blueliner.  Sandin-Pellikka noted that while he was invited to camp with Detroit, the decision has already been made that he’ll remain in Sweden for the season.  Accordingly, he has decided that it makes more sense for him to stay with Skelleftea instead of missing the first few games of the SHL season to participate in some exhibition games in North America.
  • Despite being drafted as a center and spending most of last season down the middle, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald suggests that John Beecher will line up primarily as a winger for the upcoming season. Boston picked up Mark Kastelic from Ottawa as part of the Linus Ullmark trade and the sense seems to be that he will anchor the fourth line with Beecher lining up on the wing with him.  The 23-year-old had 10 points in 52 games with the Bruins last season in his first taste of NHL action.  He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer.

Red Wings Notes: Sandin Pellikka, Three-Goalie System, Kahn

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One of Detroit’s top prospects is defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka.  The 19-year-old was the 17th overall pick in 2023 and signed his entry-level deal back in May, giving the Red Wings more options with where to assign him for next season.  However, the blueliner indicated that his preference was to remain in Sweden for 2024-25, a plan the team has no issues with according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  Sandin-Pellikka had a productive showing last season with SHL Skelleftea, recording ten goals and eight assists in 39 games.  He added seven more points in 14 playoff contests while seeing his ice time jump to over 22 minutes a night and if he can stay in that type of role for next season, the decision to stay in that league will likely prove to be the right one.

More from Detroit:

  • Last month, GM Steve Yzerman indicated his preference wasn’t to carry three goalies again next season. However, he then went and added Cam Talbot and Jack Campbell in free agency while Ville Husso and Alex Lyon are still under contract, suggesting they’ll go with three netminders again in 2024-25.  Connor Earegood of The Hockey News highlights one of the drawbacks of that approach as it pertains to roster management, suggesting that the third goalie could cut off an opportunity for one of their younger players to make the roster in training camp.  Assuming their remaining RFAs re-sign, the Red Wings could have all 23 roster spots occupied by returnees, free agent additions, or prospects who are now waiver-eligible.  They still have a few months to potentially open up a spot if they want to create an open roster spot for players to battle for.
  • After spending the last three seasons as Detroit’s Director of Hockey Operations, Aaron Kahn has been promoted to Assistant GM while retaining his previous title as well, relays Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now. He joins Shawn Horcoff and Kris Draper as those with an AGM title.  Detroit is Kahn’s first stop in the NHL after a four-year collegiate career as a goaltender.

Red Wings Sign Axel Sandin Pellikka To Entry-Level Deal

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The Red Wings signed 2023 first-round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka to his three-year, entry-level contract on Monday, per a team announcement.

Sandin Pellikka, 19, is still under contract with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League for 2024-25. However, since Sandin Pellikka was a first-round pick, the NHL-SHL transfer agreement still permits Detroit to assign him to AHL Grand Rapids next season if he doesn’t make the NHL roster. Returning him to Skellefteå is still an option but not a requirement.

The 5’11” right-shot defenseman is coming off a banner season in his home country. His season ended ceremoniously last week, winning the SHL championship with Skellefteå. He was absent with injury for the first two games of the final series against Rögle BK but returned as Skellefteå won Games 3 through 5. He finished the postseason with two goals and seven points in 14 games.

That performance came after a strong regular season with Skellefteå. He set career highs across the board with 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 39 games, a -9 rating, and was awarded the Salming Trophy as the best Swedish-born defender in the SHL or SDHL as a result. The Gällivare native was also exceptional in international action at the 2024 World Juniors, finishing with two goals and six points in seven games as Sweden won the silver medal. He was named the tournament’s best defenseman by the IIHF directorate.

After falling a bit to Detroit at 17th overall in last year’s draft, Sandin Pellikka has only increased his stock as a prospect. The expert playmaker and puck handler seems well on his way to challenge for top-four minutes and power play time in Detroit, arguably overtaking 2021 sixth-overall pick Simon Edvinsson as the organization’s best young blue liner.

Detroit’s NHL roster for next season is already full on defense, thanks to veterans Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, Olli Määttä and Jeff Petry still serving out or finishing up multi-year agreements. It’s hard to imagine general manager Steve Yzerman retaining all of them, though, and trading one of them – especially the two righties in Holl and Petry – could open up an opening-night roster spot for Sandin Pellikka.

The Swede won’t turn 20 until after Jan. 1, meaning his entry-level contract will slide to 2025-26 if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season. If so, the deal will expire in 2028 instead of 2027. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry either way.

Red Wings Notes: Offseason Plans, Sandin Pellikka, Goaltending

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In his end-of-season availability for the press, the General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, had plenty to share about his team’s progress this year. After an 11-point bump from last season, the Red Wings tied for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Washington Capitals but were on the outside looking in due to the Capitals earning more regulation wins.

Being very non-committal about any dramatic changes coming to the roster, Yzerman did mention that forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson are already on the short-list to make the roster out of training camp for the 2024-25 NHL season (Article Link). A rumored trade candidate at this year’s deadline, Yzerman may be vocalizing his belief that Berggren is an NHL-ready talent, to boost his trade value to the 31 other teams.

Of the four forwards on the roster set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, Yzerman is giving strong consideration to extending veteran David Perron. Not quite the player he used to be throughout his tenure with the St. Louis Blues, Perron is a valuable locker-room presence and scored big goals during pivotal moments for the Red Wings down the stretch.

For the other three including Patrick Kane, Daniel Sprong, and Christian Fischer, there is a decent probability that none of the trio will be back in Detroit next season. Now that Kane has proven himself healthy, and Sprong has become a legitimate top-six caliber forward, they may have already priced themselves off Detroit’s roster for next year.

Other Red Wings notes:

  •  One organizational prospect who will most likely not leap to North America next season is Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka according to Max Bultman of The Athletic. Originally the 17th player off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft, Sandin Pellikka’s career projections took a massive jump this season as he scored 10 goals and 18 points through 39 games in the SHL. In international play, Sandin Pellikka famously scored two goals and six points in 10 games for Team Sweden at the most recent IIHF World Junior Championships, becoming one of the more impactful players in the tournament.
  • In an article from Helene St.James of the Detroit Free Press, all signs are pointing to Detroit carrying three goaltenders on the roster once again next season. Given that the team already has Ville Husso and Alex Lyon signed into next season, the Red Wings could look to keep James Reimer around for a second year or look to the free agent market for a different option. The trio worked out mildly well for the organization throughout the regular season, as the Red Wings finished with a team save percentage of .897, good for 19th in the league.

Evening Notes: Hughes, Savard, Sandin-Pellikka

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Star New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes told All-Star Game reporters, “I think I’m really close, hopefully I can come out of the break here and feel good, finish the year really strong.” Hughes has missed New Jersey’s last 10 games with an upper-body injury. The absences earned Hughes a spot on injured reserve ahead of the All-Star break, though that move was seemingly a paper transaction so the team could claim defenseman Nick DeSimone from the Calgary Flames.

This injury marks Hughes’ second long-term absence this season, with the star also missing five games earlier in the season with a shoulder injury. He’s been a force to be reckoned with when he is healthy, boasting 45 points through just 32 games. That ranks him second on the team in scoring, despite his absences, and fifth in the league in points per game. Hughes, 22, has done a lot to establish himself as the Devils’ franchise centerman of the future. Now, he just needs to prove he can stay healthy.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Montreal Canadiens aren’t planning on parting ways with defenseman David Savard, per team general manager Kent Hughes. Savard is in his third season with the Canadiens, joining the team via unrestricted free agency with a four-year, $14MM contract signed during the 2021 summer. It was the first time in Savard’s then 11-year career that he reached free agency and he made sure to return to his hometown team. Hughes isn’t looking to change that decision this Spring.
  • Top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka has returned to the Skelleftea organization after sitting out with an undisclosed injury suffered during the 2024 World Junior Championships. Sandin-Pellikka has been a standout name for Skelleftea, ranking third among the team’s defenders in scoring despite missing 13 games this season. He’s boasting 13 points through 26 games, the most among any U20 defensemen in the SHL. The Red Wings selected Sandin-Pellikka with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Injury Updates: Sandin Pellikka, Bennett, Ovechkin

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Axel Sandin Pellikka, one of the Detroit Red Wings’ top prospects, played the gold medal game of the recent IIHF World Junior Championship through an injury. Additionally, Sandin Pellikka will at the very least miss this full next week as he awaits further information on the injury, which could have a “longer recovery period” according to Swedish outlet Sportbladet.

Although Sandin Pellikka couldn’t quite manage to lead Sweden to the gold medal, he nonetheless had an extremely strong tournament with six points in seven games. He’s played club hockey this year for Skellefteå AIK, one of the SHL’s better teams. Playing as the team’s number-two defenseman, Sandin Pellikka has had a strong start to the season with nine goals and 13 points in 25 games.

Some other injury notes from around the NHL:

  • Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett sustained an upper-body injury, according to head coach Paul Maurice. (via AP’s Colby Guy) Maurice added that they’re “not too concerned” about the injury, indicating that it’s likely his injury will not keep him out for much longer than a day-to-day timeline. Bennett is currently slotted in as the Panthers’ second-line center in between Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe, and he has scored seven goals and 14 points in 27 games this season.
  • The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber reports that Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is a game-time decision for today’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings. Ovechkin played in the Capitals’ most recent game but was held out of yesterday’s practice as a maintenance day. Ovechkin’s absence would leave a hole on the Capitals’ first line to be filled, with healthy scratch Matthew Phillips potentially taking up his role next to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson.

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