It's been an up and down year, but for the past few games Axel Sandin-Pellikka hasn't been seeing the ice towards the end of the NHL season. With the Red Wings finding themselves back on the outside looking in on the playoff picture after a recent loss to the Boston Bruins, Sandin-Pellikka has also found himself on the outside of the Red Wings NHL roster and has been reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Sandin-Pellikka was one of three Red Wings rookies to make the opening night roster this year, in a somewhat surprising turn after many thought the 20-year-old Swedish blueliner would need a year of seasoning in the AHL. However, Sandin-Pellikka, coming off an impressive season in the SHL with 29 points in 46 games held his own on the Red Wings roster for most of the season.
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With Detroit this year, Sandin-Pellikka had 19 points in 63 games, with 6 goals and 13 assists. The young defenseman also quarterbacked the Red Wings' second power play unit for a while, notching his first goal on Oct. 17 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and manning Detroit's second pairing. After the NHL trade deadline, Sandin-Pellikka has not played, with the Red Wings slotting veteran Justin Faulk in on the second line after trading for him.
Steve Yzerman seems to be opting for the more experienced Jacob Bernard-Docker and Albert Johansson on the Detroit's third pair, which has left Sandin-Pellikka unable to get any meaningful playtime. Sandin-Pellikka joins a Grand Rapids Griffins squad which has led the AHL for most of the year and already clinched a Calder Cup Playoff spot. He should be getting more minutes than he was in Detroit even earlier this season, and Grand Rapids could use the reinforcements after having to part ways with one of their most productive defenseman, Ian Mitchell, earlier this month.
Red Wings fans might not see the young defenseman again this year, barring any injuries to the team's defensive corps, but with an impressive showing through the most games he's ever played in a single season, Sandin-Pellikka should be a mainstay on Detroit's roster in the years to come. This won't be the last we see of the wily young defenseman.
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