For years, one of the biggest questions for the Detroit Red Wings has been who will be the second pair on the blueline? Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider have already proven that they're likely going to be the team's future top defensive pair, and even before Edvinsson got the nod, it was assumed that he and Seider would be the top pair in the future.
However, their future second pair had always been up in the air. Sure, they have a plethora of defensive prospects, but aside from Edvinsson, none of those other prospects have been able to develop into anything more than bottom-pair defenders.
Sure, they had Filip Hronek on the right side, but he had no partner who could handle the matchups. Then, in 2023, Hronek was traded to Vancouver, and the team was once again stuck in a situation where they had one top defender in Seider and one potential top pair defender in Edvinsson.
That was until the 2023 Entry Draft when they used the 1st-round pick they acquired in the Hronek trade to draft Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka (ASP) at 17th overall in hopes that he becomes their future second pair right-handed defenseman.
Good start, but how does Axel Sandin-Pellikka change the fate of the Detroit Red Wings second defensive pair?
Sandin-Pellikka is currently proving that he has all the ability and skill to become that second-pair right-handed defenseman. Sure he has to prove that he can do it on North American ice in a larger sample size than the World Junior Championship, but he's still by far the Detroit Red Wings best defensive prospect in the pipeline.
Going off the assumption that Sandin-Pellikka becomes the Detroit Red Wing's bonified second pair right-handed defenseman, then he's going to need a left-handed partner, and who else than the Detroit Red Wing's current second pair right-side defenseman Jeff Petry...Sorry, force of habit. But don't lie, I had you for a second there. Who I meant to say was the man who took his spot on the second pair, Albert Johansson. Johansson is currently thriving in the top four role he was given by Head Coach Todd Mclellan.
Albert Johanssen > Connor Mcdavid pic.twitter.com/ZAKSvSl6Eb
— Stone Cold Steve Yzerman (@McCartyDangles) January 31, 2025
I know what many of you are probably thinking right now. "That's too small of a pairing." While it's true that their average height would be 5'11.5", they more than makeup for it with their own specific skill set. Sandin-Pellikka has been able to use his speed and hands to protect the puck, while Johansson uses his incredible hockey IQ and gap control to stifle the opposition's rush. Both players also have no issue with getting involved in board battles. Johansson, in particular, has shown that he's more than capable of winning them on his own.
Although I feel they can hack it on their own, I know there are plenty of you who aren't convinced. Another option would be to make a trade for a defensively responsible left-handed defenseman to pair with Sandin-Pellikka. It's a bit more challenging and would cost a good amount in draft capital and/or prospects. However, if Yzerman were to make a move to acquire one, I would look at players like Jake Bean from the Calgary Flames or even possibly Alex Vlasic from the Chicago Blackhawks. They might be a bit expensive, but any second pairing defenseman is gonna cost a decent amount. The biggest snag with trading this season is that there are so many teams in the playoff picture that they may not be willing to part ways with any assets this season.
If you're not keen on trading for a top four left-handed defenseman or having Johansson play on the left side of Sandin-Pellikka, you could always do the simple thing and keep Edvinsson on the second pair with ASP to give that pairing more size and defensive abilities while also adding to the offensive abilities of Sandin-Pellikka. Now, that leaves you with a bigger problem in that you need to find a left-side partner for Seider. I've seen some say that Johansson could take that spot on the top pairing. Personally, I don't think he's a permanent top-pair player. A fill-in for sure, but not an every-night guy.
Regardless of how they managed to build that second pair, the Detroit Red Wings blueline looks like it's gonna be a force to be reckoned with for years to come, and that's got me excited.