Nut Upstrom
You dirty dog!
Nice, so he is both Hans and Franz.
Prospect Info: 17OA: Axel Sandin Pellikka
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PelagicJoe
Registered User
You explained it quite well. After reading this, I thought back to when Bowman first arrived here back in the 90s and made everyone learn the importance of defense, including our all out offense machine and captain, Steve Yzerman. Under Scotty, #19 transformed his came and became a monster two-way player that won three cups.
Yzerman & Co. certainly appear to be going defense first in this rebuild. Maybe there is hope after all.
Great post.
I refuse to believe that everyone in the professional or journalistic world of scouting NHL draft prospects come to the same conclusion and are wrong in doing so. There are countless writeups stating along the lines of: "he's more competitive and engaged defensively than most prospects of his size and stature."
Meanwhile, Ogee will tell you that he's abnormally soft and an absolute sieve defensively.\
Listen, I'm not going to say that we drafted Mo Seider defensively, but enough people seem to believe that this kid competes hard and is a better defender than your traditional offense leaning defenseman profile.
Wheeler: "Though he’s not big, he’s athletic and he plays hard and engages in battles in the defensive zone with some sneaky strength. He’s got a good stick. He does a good job maintaining gaps and matching opposing forwards step-for-step skating backward, and times his close-outs and pinches effectively."
Pronman: "Sandin Pellikka lacks ideal NHL size for a defenseman but he competes well and doesn't shy from using his body to lay into opposing forwards. His defense will be his main question at the NHL level, but I think he plays hard enough to be a top-four defenseman."
Black Book: "What’s good for Pellikka, is that he is at least shown the ability to play a physical game when the play calls for it. That’s the main point. He doesn’t go out of his way to be nasty, he’s not a tenacious defender, but if he’s called upon to do it, he has shown he’s willing to try.
It’s fundamental to his game going forward for the following reason. When he initiates contact, he gets to control the fallout of that contact at a higher rate than if he was to be passive and instead absorb the contact. Pellikka is a very intelligent player, and his greatest defensive gift after his ability to anticipate defensive play is his ability to open up players out of contact so that he can simultaneously take them out of the play while identifying his highest percentage passing option.
Undersized defenseman need to be able to read the play well, and all Dmen have to take hits in order to make plays. They also have to be willing to physically engage even when they’re overmatched, and they must have the recovery tools necessary to get back into position. Pellikka checks a lot of boxes.
Speaking to his anticipation. He can anticipate both off transitional and cycle sequences, on both the strong side and weak side in advance. On his strong side, he’s quick to evaluate not only what the play driver is attempting to do after coming over Pellikka’s defensive line, but where the secondary option that he needs to cover is located as well.
This allows him to get in front of and ahead of give and go sequences so that he can intercept them or use his stick and body positioning to counteract them. Which brings us to our next attribute, which is his ability to process information rapidly off the puck. This is exceptionally important for this player, since it allows him to take advantage of his rapid pivoting and turning ability, which allows him to C-cut and close down his gap on proper angles, so that he can control
the geography of the rink against opposing wingers. We talk extensively about defenseman mitigating or reducing risk in a lot of our evaluations, and Axel is capable of that. But, there’s still limitations overall to his defensive upside.
He’s not as tenacious as Mikhail Gulyayev who will go out of his way to deliver a hit through an opponent as opposed to making a point of contact to close off a player like Pellikka usually does, and he doesn’t maintain the pace you see in fellow countrymen Tom Willander. Willander is busier than Pellikka, and overcommits at times on his defensive assignments while lacking structure in a way Pellikka doesn’t. Both of these defenders project to hold and stop a rush
with their frames at a better rate then Axel.
With that said, we still think he can hold up defensively and play meaningful minutes. The best aspect of Pellikka’s game is that he has the skill set necessary to reduce the total minutes he has to play in his own zone. You don’t need to rely on your defense and frame if your team is in control of the puck, and that’s the hallmark of Pellikka’s game."
EP: "I suppose this is the point where we’re supposed to tell you that becoming a more defensively sound player is going to be critical for Sandin Pellikka’s development, but that’s not really the case here, even if he is a smallish offensive defenceman. The Swedish blueliner is an engaged defender, particularly stout between the blue lines and along the boards."
Meanwhile, Ogee will tell you that he's abnormally soft and an absolute sieve defensively.\
Listen, I'm not going to say that we drafted Mo Seider defensively, but enough people seem to believe that this kid competes hard and is a better defender than your traditional offense leaning defenseman profile.
Wheeler: "Though he’s not big, he’s athletic and he plays hard and engages in battles in the defensive zone with some sneaky strength. He’s got a good stick. He does a good job maintaining gaps and matching opposing forwards step-for-step skating backward, and times his close-outs and pinches effectively."
Pronman: "Sandin Pellikka lacks ideal NHL size for a defenseman but he competes well and doesn't shy from using his body to lay into opposing forwards. His defense will be his main question at the NHL level, but I think he plays hard enough to be a top-four defenseman."
Black Book: "What’s good for Pellikka, is that he is at least shown the ability to play a physical game when the play calls for it. That’s the main point. He doesn’t go out of his way to be nasty, he’s not a tenacious defender, but if he’s called upon to do it, he has shown he’s willing to try.
It’s fundamental to his game going forward for the following reason. When he initiates contact, he gets to control the fallout of that contact at a higher rate than if he was to be passive and instead absorb the contact. Pellikka is a very intelligent player, and his greatest defensive gift after his ability to anticipate defensive play is his ability to open up players out of contact so that he can simultaneously take them out of the play while identifying his highest percentage passing option.
Undersized defenseman need to be able to read the play well, and all Dmen have to take hits in order to make plays. They also have to be willing to physically engage even when they’re overmatched, and they must have the recovery tools necessary to get back into position. Pellikka checks a lot of boxes.
Speaking to his anticipation. He can anticipate both off transitional and cycle sequences, on both the strong side and weak side in advance. On his strong side, he’s quick to evaluate not only what the play driver is attempting to do after coming over Pellikka’s defensive line, but where the secondary option that he needs to cover is located as well.
This allows him to get in front of and ahead of give and go sequences so that he can intercept them or use his stick and body positioning to counteract them. Which brings us to our next attribute, which is his ability to process information rapidly off the puck. This is exceptionally important for this player, since it allows him to take advantage of his rapid pivoting and turning ability, which allows him to C-cut and close down his gap on proper angles, so that he can control
the geography of the rink against opposing wingers. We talk extensively about defenseman mitigating or reducing risk in a lot of our evaluations, and Axel is capable of that. But, there’s still limitations overall to his defensive upside.
He’s not as tenacious as Mikhail Gulyayev who will go out of his way to deliver a hit through an opponent as opposed to making a point of contact to close off a player like Pellikka usually does, and he doesn’t maintain the pace you see in fellow countrymen Tom Willander. Willander is busier than Pellikka, and overcommits at times on his defensive assignments while lacking structure in a way Pellikka doesn’t. Both of these defenders project to hold and stop a rush
with their frames at a better rate then Axel.
With that said, we still think he can hold up defensively and play meaningful minutes. The best aspect of Pellikka’s game is that he has the skill set necessary to reduce the total minutes he has to play in his own zone. You don’t need to rely on your defense and frame if your team is in control of the puck, and that’s the hallmark of Pellikka’s game."
EP: "I suppose this is the point where we’re supposed to tell you that becoming a more defensively sound player is going to be critical for Sandin Pellikka’s development, but that’s not really the case here, even if he is a smallish offensive defenceman. The Swedish blueliner is an engaged defender, particularly stout between the blue lines and along the boards."
newfy
Registered User
- Jul 28, 2010
- 15,221
- 9,272
Serious injectinon of skill on the back end. The wings D is going to be nasty, and even with him being small hes another guy with a mean streak. In 3 years the only guy without a mean streak on the back end will be Wallinder and hes still 6'4.
Seider, Walman
Eddy ASP
Wally/Aljo/a million other options... the wings back end is going to be ridiculous
Seider, Walman
Eddy ASP
Wally/Aljo/a million other options... the wings back end is going to be ridiculous
Frk It
Mo Seider Less Problems
- Jul 27, 2010
- 37,053
- 16,081
I mean, the Black Book gave him a 5/9 in compete and in other parts of their write up had some concerns on it.
Honestly Marks quote there at the end is exactly how I feel about him.
jkutswings
hot piss hockey
- Jul 10, 2014
- 11,712
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Maybe on defense, but who are these foundational pieces up front? I see Raymond getting pushed around when the games matter, Rasmussen and Kasper being good middle of the lineup guys in the playoffs, and a lot of other maybes. Plenty that could be USEFUL, but nothing whatsoever that's FOUNDATIONAL for a contender.
Options and time still exist to help things along, but the current roster and pipeline looks like a lot of 2-1 losses.
Axel Sandy Pelikan
Sugar-free Rock Star
- May 11, 2023
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Roomba With a Bauer
Registered User
- Sep 11, 2007
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I look at Pellikka as likely having a floor of Marek Zidlicky and a ceiling of Scott Neidermayer based on his scouting reports. The fact that his vO2 and bench press are so high shows that he is already identifying his limitations and addressing them. If he can maintain or even improve that core strength at the NHL level, he could be a little nightmare wrecking ball. Imagine a 5'11'' center of gravity with the hitting power of someone a foot taller smacking into guys with higher centers of gravity. His hip checks are gonna be brutal.
To me the things that really limit D at the NHL level are positioning, skating, fitness. This guy has good awareness and positioning, he was the best skating D in the draft, and he's clearly a physical specimen.
The only real knock I see against him is that his play at the SHL level was more reserved than his play in the junior levels. I take that as a good sign; the kid is smart enough to identify that the SHL will bury young offensive d-men with no ice time. He isn't Erik Karlsson acting like a fourth forward. He knows what he has to do and address to succeed.
To me the things that really limit D at the NHL level are positioning, skating, fitness. This guy has good awareness and positioning, he was the best skating D in the draft, and he's clearly a physical specimen.
The only real knock I see against him is that his play at the SHL level was more reserved than his play in the junior levels. I take that as a good sign; the kid is smart enough to identify that the SHL will bury young offensive d-men with no ice time. He isn't Erik Karlsson acting like a fourth forward. He knows what he has to do and address to succeed.
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YpsiWings
Registered User
- Feb 5, 2016
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Did anybody else see how happy Yzerman was on stage after taking ASP? He is usually so stoic, I can’t recall seeing him cheese like that. Gives me a lot of hope that Stevie was so excited he couldn’t do his usual blank emotions.
Roomba With a Bauer
Registered User
- Sep 11, 2007
- 4,511
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Honestly, this team has only gotten one (or less) NHLer per draft for over a decade and came out of this draft with two players who are almost locks to make the NHL. I think they absolutely shit the bed after the first round but Yzerman probably feels like it's Christmas right now.
Realgud
Not good enough for SKA
- Nov 4, 2013
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I'm sorry but there is no way he is a better skater than Molendyk, Simashev, Willander and even Gulyayev. Just my opinion but at the very least there is no chance someone that watches both think ASP is a better skater than Molendyk.
Axel Sandy Pelikan
Sugar-free Rock Star
- May 11, 2023
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I'm gonna level with you. I think you made up half of those names.
E: Before anyone jumps down my throat, I know those are actual players.
Realgud
Not good enough for SKA
- Nov 4, 2013
- 5,859
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Henkka
Registered User
Pellikka was 9th at Aerobic fitness VO2 Max test (ml/kg/min)
www.sportsnet.ca
Seider was the same, can handle high minutes, without exhaustion. Imo, one of the greatest natural ability for high-minute defencemen who play most in hockey games.
2023 NHL Combine results: Top 10 prospects in every drill
The NHL Scouting Combine returned to Buffalo, with all 32 teams getting a final opportunity to assess this crop of big-league hopefuls before the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. Here is the top 10 in every drill.
Seider was the same, can handle high minutes, without exhaustion. Imo, one of the greatest natural ability for high-minute defencemen who play most in hockey games.
Henkka
Registered User
I just love this kid how he speaks and smiles. Definitely a good guy added on the lockerroom some day.
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Frk It
Mo Seider Less Problems
- Jul 27, 2010
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Saying that is his floor is ridiculous.
Oddbob
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2016
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No way he would get more than Larkin. Detroit generally doesn't pay anyone more than the captain, unless they were tier(s) above the captain in talent.
Maybe not, maybe he is in to late night cab shenanigans.
Yeah, but his size though.
Oddbob
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2016
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Any players floor is bust. No such thing as a floor that is an NHL player still. If he was considered that good he gets drafted 2nd overall this year.
Oddbob
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2016
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No idea if it has been said already, but here it is: Hronek with hands
How about Derian Hatcher with feet.
Oddbob
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Henkka
Registered User
I've heard they also teach English here in Finland. Have you heard?
But no 17-year old speaks it that well and fluently, if not being in a different country thanks to parent's job or something.
It doesn't seem to be that case for Pellikka.
SHL lockerroom could use english as their team talk language, but Pellikka has been there only for half season and they had only 1 english speaking Mascherin there and german Kuhnhackl. That Skellefteå team was probably most swedish team in SHL.
If remembering Simon Edvinsson, who had huge struggles to speak english at same point of career.
Individual differences? It's a bit funny with ASP being from a tiny mining town in the Arctic Circle, but of course nowadays kids don't depend on just their teacher to learn.
I wonder if ASP speaks any Finnish.
