The Detroit Red Wings are doing a much better job at letting their prospects play. They're also doing an extremely poor job of deploying Axel Sandin-Pellikka properly. Two things can be true at once. While players like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Anton Johanssen have received plenty of opportunity, Sandin-Pellikka appears to have the short end of the stick.
His last game was on October 20 -- a full week ago. Sandin-Pellikka has missed three games in a row now and it's unclear when he'll return to the ice.
What's the point in keeping a young defensive player like Sandin-Pellikka from playing?
If there isn't room for him on the roster, wouldn't it make more sense to send him back down to the AHL, where he can play top minutes for the Grand Rapids Griffins? How does benching him help with his development?
It just doesn't make a lot of sense from a development or roster standpoint.
Red Wings have two paths they can take with Sandin-Pellikka
Realistically, the Red Wings have two paths they can go with Sandin-Pellikka. The first is to send him back to Grand Rapids and allow him to flourish in the AHL. This will help him rebuild his confidence, get back into the routine and rigor of regular hockey and buy the Red Wings enough time to find a spot for him on the roster.
The other is to find a way to give him an earnest shot.
Right now, Sandin-Pellikka is sharing something of a timeshare with fellow young defenseman William Wallinder, though it appears as if Wallinder has begun to eat away at ASP's ice time. The only way NHL time will actually benefit either defender is if they receive it consistently. This current back-and-forth hurts Wallinder just as much as it hurts ASP and it just isn't conducive to consistent success on the ice.
Sooner or later, the Red Wings need to figure out what they want their defensive corps to look like.
Do they contemplate trading Justin Faulk? Do they move on from Andreas Englund? What happens when Simon Edvinsson makes his return? The longer this drags out, the more the questions keep gnawing at the Wings.
A reckoning is coming for this roster and the team needs a plan on how they'll handle it.
Roster moves hinging on Larkin, Edvinsson decisions
Unfortunately, it appears as if the Red Wings are in a bit of a holding period. It's likely that, until the Dylan Larkin trade request is sorted out and Simon Edvinsson signs a contract (or is traded), the team won't make any substantial roster moves.
That isn't even touching on Michal Postava, who exceeded expectations in his small sample size on the west coast road trip.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has his work cut out for him. There's truly no rest in sight. Between Larkin, Edvinsson, the defensive situation, Postava and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Horcoff needs to move quickly once he finally makes some progress.
Once the Larkin and/or Edvinsson deals are done, we'll hopefully have a better idea on what's going on with Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
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