No.
Alright, I’ll elaborate.
I love Filip Hronek. He’s one of my favorite players in the National Hockey League (NHL) and will continue to be one of them until he retires.
In such a dark, unforgiving time in the Detroit Red Wings rebuild, Hronek was one of the only bright spots for a while. Giving hope to the hopeless, he kept my belief in the Red Wings alive, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.
Couple this idea with the fact that I enjoy his overall playing style. Not overly big or physical, but a bit of a butthead to play against. I would take him all day, every day, on my team.
I say all this information to give context. Hronek's one of my dudes. If anyone gets to be sour about him getting traded, it's me. I don't mean some guy who enjoys nothing more than criticizing my general manager every chance he gets (looking at you, Frank).
There are many things that I completely and utterly disagree with our general manager Steve Yzerman on, but the trade of one of my favorite players in Hronek is not one of them. (Olli Määttä's trade, on the other hand, I have a probelm with, but that's for another day.)
Was trading away Filip Hronek a mistake for the Detroit Red Wings?
The Red Wings still haven't fully recovered from the Hronek trade. They don't have an offensively-minded defenseman who isn't a blackhole defensively. We've had free agents come and go, but none have fit the Hronek-sized hole quite right.
The cap relief of not having a $7 million dollar-plus defenseman helps provide flexibility in a cap world.
At the same time, there are moments when I fantasize about a top-three of Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Hronek. These are negative thoughts, as I know the trade was for the better. Still, it's fun to dream of what the blueline could've looked like. More of a source of strength than question marks.
The prize in the Red Wings trade of Hronek, though, demands to be applauded. This prize was the 17th pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Level Draft. Although a bit smaller than Hronek, Axel Sandin Pellikka packs a punch (literally and figuratively).
Maybe not as smart with his feistiness as Hronek (Sandin Pellikka literally punched a wall and broke his hand after losing at one point, so it was not the wisest decision to make), the young man has room to learn. Hronek always picked his nastiness wisely. When referees and oftentimes fans aren't watching, he gets his jabs into his opponents (without breaking his hand).
Still, Sandin Pellikka is chasing records in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL)—one of the best professional hockey leagues in the world. Per Red Wings Prospects:
"Axel Sandin Pellikka [ASP] (first round ’23 for Skellefteå) Record watch UPDATE:Red Wings Prospects
With 1 Goal, ASP will set the record for:
Most Goals for a U20 Defenseman in a season
All time goal leader for a U20 defenseman in a junior career
ASP also needs:
6 points to set the record for most points by a U20 defenseman in a season
5 points to set the record for most points by a U20 defenseman in a junior career.” Red Wings Prospects"
As of writing this, Sandin Pellikka has two more games left in the regular season. Then, he and Skellefteå may be off to a play-in round.
I must give a shoutout to our own Albert Johansson, who in the 2020-21 season scored eight times and had 11 assists for a total of 19 points in 44 games played. Johansson sits ninth in goals and total points by an under-20 player in the SHL. Not bad for a kid most fans had written off before he even saw regular ice time with the Red Wings.
Now, back to the regularly scheduled program…
For the record, Elite Prospects has his stat line as follows: 40 games played, 11 goals and 15 assists for a total of 26 points, along with 20 penalty minutes and an even plus/minus rating. He laces second on the list (and fifth for his 2023-24 season). It’s impressive, to say the least.
As Lars Thorsell points out on the Twitterverse
"SHL is played over 52 games.Lars Thorsell
We are now at game 47 Skellefteå are in the play-in group. The top six are qualified for the playoffs, 7-10 have a best of three for the last two spots.
If Skellefteå are knocked out in the play-in their and ASP & [Michael Brandsegg-Nygård] MBN’s season could be over March 17th.
So if they are knocked out in two straight in the play in, the earliest they would be out is March 15th."
The fact that Sandin Pellikka could join the Detroit Red Wings at potentially the most important time of the season at a position they are in desperate need of help makes it all the more exciting.
I’m not under the impression that Sandin Pellikka will come over and immediately take over like he has with Skellefteå. Yzerman loves taking the long route with prospects, but if a prospect is ready, he hasn’t been shy about putting them in the lineup.
Asking Sandin Pellikka to step in on a third pair in a playoff run would be a lot. If he’s not ready for whatever reason, he could see time with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League (AHL). Or maybe Skellefteå will make a playoff run of their own.
All I know is that he (and Brandsegg-Nygård, if he joins the fray) would be two huge adds without giving up assets in a trade.
Both have games that could translate well to North American ice and provide help where the Red Wings need it the most.
Of course, Sandin Pellikka hasn’t played in an NHL game, so we can’t count chickens before the eggs hatch. However, if I’m giving up one of my favorite players, drafting someone like Sandin Pellikka softens the blow. To have him perform this well in such a short amount of time is even better.
In fact, it makes me love Hronek even more. He’s still giving back to the Detroit Red Wings even after he’s moved on and earned a hefty, well-deserved raise.