Sandin-Pellikka adapting quickly to NHL as Red Wings rookie

Axel Sandin-Pellikka needed five games to know how much he didn't know about playing professional hockey in North America.

But three games into his NHL career, the Detroit Red Wings defenseman has proven to be a quick learner.

The 20-year-old enters a game against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT, TVAS) looking for his first point, but he's third on the Red Wings with an average ice time of 21:02.

What's helped Sandin-Pellikka make what appears to be a smooth adjustment to the NHL was the experience he got with Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League to end last season.

Once his season with Skelleftea in the Swedish Hockey League ended, Sandin-Pellikka had one assist in two regular-season AHL games and played in all three of Grand Rapids' playoff games. It showed him how much more work he needed to do to reach his goal of playing in the NHL.

"Now I know a little bit of what's coming," Sandin-Pellikka said during the NHL Players' Association Rookie Showcase in September. "Got that shock at the end of last season, instead of now coming over and just, it hits you directly.

"It's a different game over here; it's way quicker on the smaller ice surface. You've got to have your head on a swivel in the defensive zone and just be at the right spots most of the time. So, I think it was a good experience for me coming over."

Offense is the strength of Sandin-Pellikka's game. He was named junior player of the year in the SHL last season after he led all under-21 players in the league in goals (12) and points (29) and tied for the lead in assists (17) in 46 games. He also tied for second in scoring among players at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games for Sweden and was named the tournament's best defenseman.

And while he didn't contribute offensively in Grand Rapids' three-game loss in its best-of-5 playoff series, Sandin-Pellikka said he felt more comfortable as it progressed.

"I played five games and I got into it more and more," he said. "I feel like the last two [playoff] games ... I felt more comfortable with that play as well."

Red Wings management was impressed by what they saw but had a simple offseason note for Sandin-Pellikka.

"Axel is going to have to get stronger," assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said during Detroit's development camp. "He's got to spend a lot of time in the gym, work on his skating, learning. It was very valuable for him to see the pace and the gap control he needs to have on the smaller ice. It's probably a huge adjustment. ... But he's got an A-plus brain. He'll eventually figure out how he's got to set himself through the neutral zone. He's not a very big guy, but he's a very smart guy. So, the smaller ones need to use their brain a lot more and positionally be in the right spot, especially defending."

Sandin-Pellikka took those words to heart. He spent the offseason training with NHL players, including Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson, and said he added about six pounds of muscle. He measured in at training camp at 6-foot, 186 pounds.

"I feel stronger," he said. "I for sure feel stronger in the gym and off ice."

The extra muscle has had the added benefit of giving his skating a boost.

"I think that comes naturally from getting stronger," he said. "I mean, if you get stronger, your legs get faster."

The Red Wings envision Sandin-Pellikka as a significant piece to a young group of defensemen that includes Moritz Seider, 24, and Simon Edvinsson, 22.

"He's a heady player," Detroit coach Todd McLellan said before the season got underway. "What does that mean? He's got good eyes, good vision, anticipation skills. I've used the term chess and checkers; he can play chess every now and then on the ice. That's a valuable thing to have.

"As I said throughout training camp, we're seeing what we expect him to do well over and over again. That's a real good thing. There was talk of can he defend, can he do these other things? We're looking for that, too, but if that first part doesn't exist, it doesn't matter what you're doing over here because you don't have the confidence, you're not ready to do what you do really well. As camp went on he felt better and better with pucks, held on to them longer, made good, smart plays, whether it was on the power play, the breakout, or wherever."

The ice time he's receiving shows Sandin-Pellikka has earned the trust of the coaching staff. He's one of two Red Wings defensemen averaging more than 1:20 per game on the power play (1:27) and penalty kill (1:22), along with Seider (4:29 on the power play, 1:26 on the penalty kill).

It's about maintaining that consistency level, but the Red Wings are confident what they've seen so far is only the beginning.

"We believe he's only going to get better," McLellan said. "We're seeing him evolve right in front of our eyes, but we believe over time he'll get better."