Throughout the preseason, the projected participants for the Detroit Red Wings bottom-pairing have played as-advertised: they haven't been very good. Neither Justin Holl, Erik Gustafsson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, nor Travis Hamonic solidified themselves as legit answers in the bottom-pairing, raising questions of whether they should just roll with newcomer Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Max Bultman of the Athletic noticed Sandin-Pellikka's impact this preseason, saying, "In fact, 20-year-old rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka has probably been the most consistently noticeable defender outside the top four. It’s hard to say if that gives him a real chance to make the team or not, as expectations coming in were that Sandin-Pellikka would need time in Grand Rapids. He’s smart, competitive and can be an outstanding power-play quarterback, but is not yet a polished defender."
With the Red Wings' bottom pairing looking so bad, at times against players who will never play in the NHL, there will be temptation galore to insert Sandin-Pellikka onto the big club. But that would be a bad idea, and the Wings must stick with their brand of player development, which has churned out stars like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, plus stars-in-the-making like Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper.
Detroit Red Wings must resist rushing Axel-Sandin Pellikka
While there is no doubt Sandin-Pellikka would be a tremendous asset offensively, even this season, in Hockeytown, the reality is that he's not ready to be a full-time NHLer. Defensemen typically take longer than forwards to develop, and that's because organizations expect their future top blueliners to play an effective three-zone game.
Sandin-Pellikka needs to work on his defensive play on North American ice before the Red Wings even think about considering him for a full-time role in Detroit. Playing fewer minutes on the third pairing won't help, since Sandin-Pellikka is easily a top-four defenseman in Grand Rapids, where he would get more ice time against players closer to his level, which will kickstart his development.
Yes, it means fans will be relegated to watching Travis Hamonic, Justin Holl, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Erik Gustafsson make goaltenders John Gibson's and Cam Talbot's jobs in the crease tougher. But if the Red Wings want to properly develop their top talent the way they have been, they need to take the carnage that will come with their bottom pairing.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka will hit the ground running in 2026-27
There's no doubt that Sandin-Pellikka is holding his own in the preseason, and that's what Red Wings fans needed to see. Because of his play, he's giving that fanbase optimism, and his presence, especially if he sidles in on the first pairing to replace Ben Chiarot next season, will give the Wings arguably the best young top four in the game.
A player of Sandin-Pellikka's talent, especially if he develops a well-rounded game, will push the Wings closer to that inevitable postseason berth, and deep playoff runs at that. But that's the reward for staying patient, something general manager Steve Yzerman has preached and practiced throughout this entire process.