'Cool Guy' Axel Sandin-Pellikka Leading Sweden From The Blueline — And Teasing His NHL Potential With Red Wings

It’s safe to say the Detroit Red Wings’ season is falling off the rails. Between their 13-17-4 record and the firing of coach Derek Lalonde, this is not where the “Yzerplan” was supposed to be nine years after last making the playoffs in 2016.

But if there’s any solace for Red Wings fans, it’s the development of 2023 first-rounder Axel Sandin-Pellikka. As Detroit announced the firing of Lalonde, captain Sandin-Pellikka was leading Sweden onto the ice in Ottawa, where he scored a natural hat-trick to take down Slovakia 5-2 in the first game of the World Junior Championship.

The 5-foot-11 defender danced his way across the blueline all afternoon, finding seams and rifling shots from the point. It’s his third world juniors, and his confidence and swagger with the puck drew all the eyes in the building every time he touched the ice.

“It's my third time, so I always feel like I wanna play with the puck but of course, it's a little bit easier when you've been there two times before,” he said.

Related: World Juniors: Sandin-Pellikka, Hagens, Canada's Youth Make Excellent First Impressions

Sandin-Pellikka was a centerpiece on last year’s world junior roster that suffered a devastating 6-2 loss to the United States in the gold medal game in front of a home crowd in Gothenburg. With six points in seven games, he was named the top defender of the tournament, an honor he seems likely to win again this year with four points already under his belt. But with Sweden’s gold medal drought stretching back to 2012, Sandin-Pellikka couldn’t be less concerned with the accolades.

“I don't come here to chase personal triumphs,” he said. “We want the gold, so that's what we're going for.”

World junior experience aside, Sandin-Pellikka was also an SHL champion and the league’s top defender last season. Since being drafted 17th overall by Detroit in 2023, his stock has seen a meteoric rise, fuelled by his new offensive heights. This season, he’s piled up 22 points in 25 games for Skelleftea AKT, which leads all defenders. He’s on pace to smash the SHL points record for a 19-year-old defenceman, currently held by the Dallas Stars’ Nils Lundkvist and previously the Red Wings’ Moritz Seider.

He’s even drawn comparisons to a certain Swedish generational defenceman, who he named as the player he looks up to.

“It's gotta be Erik Karlsson,” he said. “ I mean, it's gonna take a lot of work to get to his level, but he's one player to look at, for sure.”

Fellow defender and 2023 first-round selection Tom Willander sees the resemblance but noted Sandin-Pellikka’s defensive improvement.

“I think he’s a player of his own,” said the Vancouver Canucks prospect. “He plays a good two-way game. I feel like he's been working on both parts of his game, but it'll be fun to see how he develops and how he's gonna be able to play on the next level.”

Willander and Sandin-Pellikka patrolled Sweden’s top power-play unit, which converted for the captain’s first goal of the game. Willander slid him a one-timer pass, which missed the net but was collected by Felix Unger Sorum, who set him up once again. He didn’t miss twice.

“We've been working on those one-timer passes, I'm happy to see that he's scoring on them, so I just hope we can kind of keep that up,” Willander said.

After serving as an assistant captain in 2024, Sandin-Pellikka is now firmly in the driver’s seat for a Swedish team that has a favourable path carved out for them in Group B. Their opponents include Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan, leaving the major powers of Canada, the United States and Finland to battle it out in Group A.

But after the quarterfinals, one of those teams will likely await them, and slaying the dragons of the United States and Canada remains elusive. In pre-tournament play, Sweden fell 4-2 to Canada and was outshot 44-24. Sandin-Pellikka said his team needs to “play with a lot of confidence” and “not stress up anything.” After playing in a pressure-cooker environment at home last tournament, that task may be easier this year, especially for someone with Sandin-Pellikka’s resume.

As much as his passion and confidence show on the ice, the 19-year-old said he just wants to be seen by his teammates as a “cool guy” off the ice.

Willander gave him some flack for that one when asked about his teammate.

“I don't know about that,” he said with a hint of confusion. “Cool guy? I wouldn't say so, but you know, it's good to hear that he's working on it.”

He quickly made up for it with a shower of compliments.

“I'm not riding on anyone out here,” he said, laughing. “No, he's a good guy, he's a great kid. Fun to be around.”

And should his play continue at this rate, it won’t be long before he dons the winged wheel in Motor City. It could be as early as April when the SHL season ends and the Red Wings are nearing the end of their season. Luckily for Sandin-Pellikka, there aren’t many mentors better suited to guide him from Sweden to the NHL than longtime Red Wings defender Niklas Kronwall.

“I talk with Kronwall a lot, he's the Swedish development coach, so he just tells me to play my game and not think too much,” Sandin-Pellikka said.

But make no mistake — the Red Wings are keeping close tabs on their prized prospect. The teenage defenceman said Kronwall visits him in Skelleftea every month.

“We talk pretty often.”

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.