The Detroit Red Wings are off to a good if unspectacular begin to the 2025-26 season, losing to the Montreal Canadiens on home ice before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in back-to-back games to enhance to 2-1.
One player who has endeared himself to his latest head coach is rookie defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The 20-year-old has been thrown right into the fireplace in his first NHL campaign, currently sitting third on the Red Wings with a mean ice time of 21:02.
Although he stays with out a point, Todd McLellan has liked what he’s seen from the previous No. 17 overall selection within the 2023 NHL Draft.
“He’s a heady player,” he said recently, per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. “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 once in a while on the ice. That is a precious thing to have.
“We consider he’s only going to recover. We’re seeing him evolve right in front of our eyes, but we consider over time he’ll recover.”
Definitely high praise from the veteran bench boss, who’s currently coaching three rookie players in 2025-26.
3 rookies earned place on Red Wings’ opening night roster
Together with Sandin-Pellikka, top prospects Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Emmitt Finnie have also played in Detroit’s first three regular-season games.
Finnie has been effective, managing two points over his first three NHL contests while skating on the highest line alongside Dylan Larkin. Brandsegg-Nygard doesn’t have some extent but is seeing third line minutes within the early going.
It is a youth revolution in Michigan, and although there is no guarantee all three players stick to the massive league club, GM Steve Yzerman has been impressed up to now.
“For all of us which have watched them through the preseason and going back to the 2 games in Texas, it’s been impressive,” Yzerman said, per Red Wings reporter Jonathan Mills. “You watch Emmitt Finnie skate, the poise and the smarts of Axel and his puck-handling skills back there. Then, Michael shooting the puck and playing hard – he’s got an actual element to his game.
“I’m not within the room, but I get a way…It’s very exciting for everyone. The fans which were following the team, I feel it’s obvious they’re talented young players. Hoping that translates now into the regular season.”
While Brandsegg-Nygard and Finnie definitely project as future NHL players, Sandin-Pellikka is predicted to be a staple on Detroit’s blue line for years to come back. He’s already earned a ton of trust from the coaching staff; together with Moritz Seider, he’s “certainly one of two Red Wings defensemen averaging greater than 1:20 per game on the facility play (1:27) and penalty kill (1:22),” per Kimelman.
The young Swede will look to proceed helping the Red Wings win games, starting with an all-Atlantic Division clash against the defending champion Florida Panthers on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena.