Detroit Red Wings Axel Sandin-Pellikka to captain 2025 IIHF World Juniors

Axel Sandin-Pellikka is already a household name with Detroit Red Wings fans (casual or upper echelon).

He’s been talked about with consistency by fans since he was drafted. Many fans are already filling out lineup cards with him as a top-four defenseman for decades to come.

It’s fun to dream and, frankly, is necessary in this time of doom and gloom. It’s not only the dark, long days that have caused some suffering, but the Detroit Red Wings team as a whole has been a disappointment. To get a chance to hang on to something positive and meaningful is a light amidst a dark tunnel.

The prospects have always been a source of this hopeful light on the horizon and this year’s World Juniors will be no different.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka to captain Team Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Juniors

At just 5’11” and 185 lbs, Sandin-Pellikka’s stature isn’t the only thing different from his fellow Detroit Red Wings drafted defensemen. Sandin-Pellikka oozes with offensive flare while accepting the defensive responsibilities that accompany his job as a defenseman. Although, I’m not sure that he will ever be touted as a two-way defenseman as he possesses such a high offensive upside.

His size might cause pause for some fans, as we have grown accustomed to Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson, along with the other defensemen who look like skyscrapers with their skates on.

Yet, Sandin-Pellikka does not play small. He’s feisty:

He doesn’t turn away from the physical side of things, and at times, he seems to initiate the physical play. 

This tenacious attitude has led to a promising run in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for Sandin-Pellikka. According to the same link above for EliteProspects, Sandin-Pellikka has played in 23 games, lighting the lamp seven times and adding 12 assists for a total of 19 points. He’s recorded 12 penalty minutes and was a +3 rating for Skellefteå AIK. He’s collecting points like Sonic the Hedgehog collects rings:

Now, Sandin-Pellikka is invited to the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Juniors (Under 20) as the captain. 

In his previous stint with Team Sweden last year, he played in 14 games and had five goals along with five assists for a total of ten points. He recorded eight penalty minutes and had a -2 rating (see link to his EliteProspects page above).

Drafted in 2023, Sandin-Pellikka was the result of the Filip Hronek trade. The Vancouver Canucks sent back a first-round pick that led to the selection at 17th overall. If the Detroit Red Wings only had one pick in the first round of the 2023 draft, we might be singing a different tune. Although I miss Hronek, especially in these dark days as a Detroit Red Wings fan, it’s exciting to watch Sandin-Pellikka develop. Even cooler that we can watch some of his games through FloHockey (no sponsor, and not all games are shown, but something is better than nothing, I suppose).

He’s come a long way from his draft year. Sandin-Pellikka is continuing to improve on the defensive side of the play and is still growing in the offensive zone as well. According to fans who watch Sandin-Pellikka regularly, Sandin-Pellikka sees the game differently from other players. He’s able to read plays and opponents like a favorite novel. His fancy feet and hands allow him to create unique chances and breakouts for his team, as well.

Sandin-Pellikka is a bit more polarizing when we get outside the dedicated fandom. Some public scouts question his pace, skating, and projected effectiveness in the NHL (and even just in North America). Particularly in the defensive zone, when Sandin-Pellikka is squaring off with opponents, he can be a bit slow getting to the puck. Sometimes it’s a question of skating ability, while other times, it’s a question of did he take the best route to get there. Maybe there was a better path that he could have taken to minimize the threat of getting him better positioning. 

At times, his gap control is questioned, too. When an opponent comes into Sandin-Pellikka’s end, he can kind of get caught in no man’s land where he isn’t as aggressive as he should be or doesn’t cut into the opponent’s shooting or passing lane as well as he could. 

All these areas of opportunity are not huge; they just need refinement, it seems.

His skating isn’t too concerning, but given his size, one might hope for elite skating. Although Sandin-Pellikka is an efficient, effective skater, he’s not blowing anyone away on the ice. That’s okay as long as he’s taking the smartest routes and getting the best positioning to win one-on-one battles. If any of these don’t become effective long-term, then there could be a concern about how Sandin-Pellikka might project into an everyday NHL lineup.

I tend to lean more on the side of fans who watch Sandin-Pellikka regularly, as they get to see everything that happens all the time. While there is expectedly some bias, it’s a greater sample size than a lot of public scouts watch—especially for Detroit Red Wings prospects. They just don’t seem to ever top the list of priorities for public scouts, which is fine. I just take the evaluations that are given with a grain of salt until I can come to my conclusions about the player.

It’s going to be interesting to watch Sandin-Pellikka play against his age group again and wear the “C” that he’s worked so hard to earn.

Hopefully, it’s a glimpse into the bright future yet to come with the Detroit Red Wings.