How an AHL reset will help Red Wings rookie defenseman

As Octopus Thrower reported yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings are considering sending 21-year-old defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka down to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The logic is straightforward: if there isn’t a nightly role available in Detroit right now, a young defenseman’s development is usually better served via 18–20 minutes a night with the Grand Rapids Griffins instead of watching from the press box.

Since the Red Wings added veteran defenseman Justin Faulk at the trade deadline, the blue line has looked more settled. Faulk has slotted in perfectly alongside fellow veteran Ben Chiarot on the second pairing, with the top duo of Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider leading the charge. The trickle-down effect has led the Red Wings to lean on Jacob Bernard-Docker to keep his spot next to Albert Johansson. Due to this, rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka is the odd one out

Red Wings rookie won't develop from the press box

Sandin-Pellikka is still learning what it means to be a professional defenseman in North America. The flashes are obvious: he processes quickly with the puck, sees seams before they open and has the kind of offensive instincts that tend to translate as a player gains reps and confidence. The defensive side, though, has been a problem, sometimes in ways that are hard to overlook. That doesn’t mean the organization should panic or “give up” on him; it means Detroit has to be honest about what he needs next, and whether the NHL is the best classroom for that lesson right now amid a tight playoff race.

The context matters: Sandin-Pellikka effectively went straight from Europe to the NHL, playing only five total games in Grand Rapids. This was as brief an on-ramp to the smaller ice and faster decisions demanded at the NHL level as you can get. For young defensemen, that’s an unforgiving jump. His reads have to be quicker, the puck battles happen sooner and mistakes are usually punished immediately at this level and often are reflected on the scoreboard.

Offensively, the raw production is respectable for a 21-year-old defenseman trying to find his footing. He's notched six goals and 19 points in 63 games. But, as mentioned earlier, the defensive results have been rough overall. Sandin-Pellikka is carrying a team-worst minus-21 rating; the next closest defensemen are Travis Hamonic and Johansson at minus-10, respectively. Plus-minus is an imperfect stat; he isn’t solely responsible for every goal against while he’s on the ice, but a gap that large still points to a recurring problem. There are just far too many shifts ending in extended defending, broken coverages, or failed exits that turn into sustained pressure.

When the Red Wings landed Faulk, most assumed that Sandin-Pellikka would slot in with Johansson, in turn, bumping Bernard-Docker out of the lineup. That hasn't been the case, which only shines a light on head coach Todd McLellan's lack of trust at this juncture of Sandin-Pellikka's career. Again, being in the midst of a playoff race and without their top two centers certainly plays a significant role in the decision-making to have him in the press box.

What the Red Wings need out of Sandin-Pellikka

The Red Wings don’t need Sandin-Pellikka to become a different player; they need him to become a more reliable version of the one they drafted. In order to do this, they need more positive development. The offensive toolkit is ASP's selling point, and it’s still there. But if the present reality is a crowded NHL depth chart and a young defenseman stuck in limbo, Grand Rapids isn’t a setback; it’s a plan.

That said, the Red Wings will certainly need to carry a seventh defender on the roster, particularly when they head out onto the road. This would be a perfect opportunity to recall veteran Erik Gustafsson. Detroit wouldn't be harming Gustafsson to have him in the press box, and he has plenty of experience and the ability to step in and play on the third pairing when needed.