Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka compared to pair of elite, award-winning NHL defensemen
Detroit Red Wings prospect is tearing up the World Junior championships, and he's already drawing comparisons to two elite NHL defensemen.
Fans of the Detroit Red Wings have every right to feel optimistic about the future with regard to one particular prospect of theirs that is already tearing up the World Junior Championships for Team Sweden.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who was selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Red Wings, is representing Sweden in the tournament that began today.
Sandin-Pellikka scored a hat trick along with an assist in Sweden's 5-2 rout of Slovakia, kicking off the tournament in the right way.
And he's already drawing rave reviews for his play, even being compared to two of the leading offensive defensemen currently in the NHL today.
According to Justin Satawa of The Woodward Sports Network, Sandin-Pellikka could have a career trajectory similar to Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.
As a defenseman he has vision to lead breakouts and rushes. With high level speed and puck control. In the offensive zone his vision is on another level on his first assist he draws two defenders creating a clean lane for his teammate. He also has a deadly one-timer as seen on this goal. He also is a physical and a reliable on puck defenseman. This will be the piece that truly propels the Red Wings next year.
Hughes, who played at the University of Michigan and was available to the Red Wings in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft (they chose all-time bust Filip Zadina instead), won the Norris Trophy last year for the Vancouver Canucks.
Meanwhile, Makar won the 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy with the Colorado Avalanche, along with the Norris Trophy that same year; he was a finalist for the award in four of his first five years in the NHL.
While Sandin-Pellikka has a long way to go before he can accurately be compared to those two award-winning defensemen, the fact that he's already reminding analysts of their accomplishments is a very good sign.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 26 | 148 ANSWERS Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka compared to pair of elite, award-winning NHL defensemen Will Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka live up to being compared to Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar? | ||
| Yes | 123 | 83.1 % |
| No | 25 | 16.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
