The Detroit Red Wings play their fourth game of the season tonight against the Seattle Kraken. In a small sample size, we've seen a great number of odd things. Former first round pick Michael Rasmussen is off to a strong start. Dylan Larkin scored a Gordie Howe hat trick in his boo-filled return to the Red Wings. There's even been a witch lifting curses on the franchise.
Strangest of all, though, has been the deployment of Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
The Red Wings are very much an "earn it" team -- so much so that it's literally plastered on the wall of the locker room. In order to play top pairing minutes in Detroit, you have to earn them. That's how Emmitt Finnie earned second line center duties on the hottest line in Hockeytown right now.
One player that has to earn it tonight is Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Why Axel Sandin-Pellikka's role is at risk
In three games for the Red Wings, Sandin-Pellikka has yet to register a single point. Despite playing on the second power play unit, Sandin-Pellikka has registered just six shots on goal thus far. Part of this can be chalked up to the Red Wings' anemic offense, which registered just two goals in its first two games. But, even when the offense exploded for five goals in a win against the Ottawa Senators, Sandin-Pellikka couldn't cash in a single point.
One of the biggest factors in this has to do with his ice time.
This is what Sandin-Pellikka's time on ice looks like across three games:
Game | ATOI |
|---|---|
October 2 (vs. NYR) | 16:27 |
October 4 (vs. WPG) | 15:37 |
October 6 (vs. OTT) | 11:27 |
In just three games, Sandin-Pellikka went from playing a quarter of the night to a little over a sixth of the game. For an offensive defenseman like Sandin-Pellikka, that's a bad sign. Like a running back in the NFL earning more plays with good blocking, younger defensemen are given more ice time when they're trusted to handle their defensive responsibilities.
Worse yet, if practice lineups are any indication, he may have already lost his spot on the power play. It appears as if Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has supplanted him on the second pairing, further cutting into his minutes on the ice. If the team decides to run an 11-7 formation (with seven defensemen instead of six), it might be a surprise to see ASP out there for more than 10 minutes.
Given the ascendancy of Anton Johansson, the return of Jacob Bernard-Docker and the waiver risks that come from William Wallinder, there's a chance Sandin-Pellikka is sent down to Grand Rapids to play bigger minutes.
Why tonight's game is so important for ASP
Tonight might be one of the biggest games in Axel Sandin-Pellikka's career (so far). Right now, the odds are stacked against him. His ice time has been cut down nearly every game he's played. He's (potentially) lost his spot on the power play. Jacob Bernard-Docker is back, furthering the competition for that final spot. Sooner or later, push is going to come to shove -- espeically when (or if) Simon Edvinsson makes his return.
In order to justify his role in the NHL, Axel Sandin-Pellikka needs to play the best hockey he's shown thus far. It's important to note that, if he can't, it's not the end of the world. He'll have plenty of time to light up the AHL and show the team just how urgently they need to look at freeing up a roster spot for him.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka will play in the NHL. Whether it's early in this season or later on is up to him, the coaching and the roster.
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