Prospect Info: 17OA: Axel Sandin Pellikka

[saska sault]

Our defense is gonna be scary here very shortly. Pretty happy with our draft on day 1. We did not go for any gimmicky all flash players who are very hit or miss. Got the best offensive defenseman in the draft which after drafting a ton of monster size 2 way guys, a little variety is nice. I assume he is going to season for a bit over seas as we can only break so many kids in NA.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

Not a fan of this pick, but mostly because I think we should've traded it. I'm not a fan of pushing the rebuild until Larkin is getting grey hairs. Danielson might play some NHL games in 2 years but this guy is probably a long way out.

He is 5'11'' right now, so good chance he hits 6'. Won't really be terribly undersized at the NHL level. His skating is supposed to be on par with Moore and Danielson.

Maybe Yzerman just wants to maintain his streak of having the best junior defensemen in the SHL???

 

[saska sault]

Not a fan of this pick, but mostly because I think we should've traded it. I'm not a fan of pushing the rebuild until Larkin is getting grey hairs. Danielson might play some NHL games in 2 years but this guy is probably a long way out.

He is 5'11'' right now, so good chance he hits 6'. Won't really be terribly undersized at the NHL level. His skating is supposed to be on par with Moore and Danielson.

Maybe Yzerman just wants to maintain his streak of having the best junior defensemen in the SHL???

I think our picks that were in play are in 2nd round and lower and maybe future 1st. Still need to build different time lines of prospects, our current pool is going to push for their spots in the next 1-3 years, you cant leave it barren if we plan to contend for the long term. Need to have lots of cheap young talent. It is nice to have a continuing defense pipeline coming from over seas. Shows Kronwall is doing work over there, same for Hakan.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Boom or bust pick imo

 

[ItWasJustified]

When he got called up to play in the SHL he looked like he never done anything else in his life.

View attachment 723279

Nicklas Danielsson had never played defense in his life until last season at the age of 38.

 

[SCD]

Reminds me a little of the Cossa pick. Instead of taking the BPA, Yzerman drafted to fill a need.

Hopefully, both work out.

 

[DoMakc]

Reminds me a little of the Cossa pick. Instead of taking the BPA, Yzerman drafted to fill a need.

Hopefully, both work out.

If draft strength aligns with team needs, it does not mean, they are not picking BPA

 

[SantosHalper]

Any idea who with? Please someone tell me Rogle.

Um, the team he was drafted from? Skellefteå

 

[Dotter]

Both picks look like they have a highly probable chance to making the NHL some day. To what capacity is yet to be seen.

It does seem like Yzerman is building a hard-to-play-against blue collar team like the two teams that just went to the Stanley Cup Finals; Panthers-Knights.

 

[Indrid Cold]

You guys are missing the point here. At least Y didnt trade this pic for Debrincat and extend him 9 million for 8 years.

Thumbs. Up.

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

To Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet ASP said:

They asked if it was awesome to be drafted by the Wings:

"Yeah, it's awesome. I was so relieved to hear my name and so happy that it was Detroit. Partly because of all the Swedish history with Lidström, Zetterberg and the others, and partly because it's an Original Six team. Feels incredibly mighty.

"I followed Chicago when I was younger, because my dad got Kane jerseys for me and my brother when we were kids and I've always had Kane as my role model.* But I will definitely be following Detroit from now on"

* The role model part seemed more on the ice if anything.

 

[Henkka]

You guys are missing the point here. At least Y didnt trade this pic for Debrincat and extend him 9 million for 8 years.

Thumbs. Up.

Yeah... he is gonna trade the BOS 1st. + one of the 2023 2nds probably.

 

[Konnan511]

Can you guys give reasons/details for these opinions?

I have ASP ranked higher than Reinbacher. I had ASP as the best DMan in the draft. He is by far, sooooo far, the best offensive DMan. He also plays a solid two hundred foot game already (not as good as Reinbacher).

Yes he's sub-6ft, but he plays much much larger.

 

[lhsgolf19]

If I hear one more person bring up size I’m gonna lose it ha…. He’s the exact same size as someone named Makar and basically the same as Karlsson… Enough

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

Not a fan of this pick, but mostly because I think we should've traded it. I'm not a fan of pushing the rebuild until Larkin is getting grey hairs. Danielson might play some NHL games in 2 years but this guy is probably a long way out.

He is 5'11'' right now, so good chance he hits 6'. Won't really be terribly undersized at the NHL level. His skating is supposed to be on par with Moore and Danielson.

Maybe Yzerman just wants to maintain his streak of having the best junior defensemen in the SHL???

 

[Indrid Cold]

If I hear one more person bring up size I’m gonna lose it ha…. He’s the exact same size as someone named Makar and basically the same as Karlsson… Enough

Exactly, and he will be part of a blue liner group that is huge as a whole. Pair him with one of the twin towers, and he will be fine.

 

[theslatcher]

Hilarious

Fun little addition: Liam Dower Nilsson was driving ASP's car. He's in Nashville for Noah(who had already arrived).

Filip Forsberg also gave them tips on where to drive and where to find good food.

 

[Mister Ed]

His floor is Hronek and his ceiling is Karlsson, I'm very excited. This is the element the backend was lacking, very exciting to see how he progresses.

 

[Henkka]

Boom or bust pick imo

At least the development place for next seasons is proably the best.

Sweden. With Niklas Kronwall.

 

[norrisnick]

If I hear one more person bring up size I’m gonna lose it ha…. He’s the exact same size as someone named Makar and basically the same as Karlsson… Enough

Now compare their skating.

 

[lhsgolf19]

Now compare their skating.

Axel is a tremendous skater

 

[lomekian]

To me reads like what Almqvuist would have been if he could skate and wasn't tiny. While not my first choice at 17, was in my top 3 of what was left, and was one of the guys I was hoping would drop to 17. D tend to take longer to cook, so if Yzerman and the crew didn't think any of the forwards left had top line talent, this one makes a lot of sense.

Now compare their skating.

Not at their level, but still a strength.

 

[Frk It]

I have ASP ranked higher than Reinbacher. I had ASP as the best DMan in the draft. He is by far, sooooo far, the best offensive DMan. He also plays a solid two hundred foot game already (not as good as Reinbacher).

Yes he's sub-6ft, but he plays much much larger.

Being the best offensive defenseman in this draft is about worthy of a golf clap for me. This was not a good defenseman draft.

That’s what it comes down to for me why I struggle with this pick, the value proposition. There were probably 4-5 forwards I would have went with at 17, including the guys who went with the 3 picks immediately after ours. If we wanted an offensive defenseman we could have gotten Morin or Dragicevic in the 2nd round.

We have also seen a number of defenseman with this profile from Sweden get taken in the first round and be underwhelming as of late. Also just saw a team win a Cup with no defenseman like this on it.

 

[NickH8]

This is sobering but the truth. Yzerman wants to build a cup contender, not the 2015 Wings. And he's collecting all the right foundational pieces for a contender. We are now looking at a possible deep C Corp. Something we haven't been able to say since Z and Datsyuk were running around the Joe.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I eagerly await the days when we can re-engage in debate over a smaller but excellent 2nd-pairing RHD who you wrongly think sucks

Well they’re probably 4 or 5 years away. ASP is more of a project than people here realize.

I know there are a lot of people here claiming, “Best offensive defenseman in the draft!” But don’t realize just how much this kid really needs to improve his defensive game for his game to even matter at the NHL level.

I have faith that Detroit’s developmental team in Sweden will be able to assist in rounding out his overall game, but my fear is that ASP turns into a run of the mill Swedish defender that had good numbers in junior; Rasmus Sandin, Nils Lundqvist, Adam Boqvist, Emil Andrae and Helge Grans.