Red Wings Draft Pick “Day to Day” with Injury

Red Wings first round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka is day to day with a injury, holding him out of Champions Hockey League games

What is Axel Sandin Pellikka's NHL Timeline?

The 2024-25 hockey season is just a few weeks old, but a top Red Wings draft pick is already injured.

2023 first round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka is day to day with an injury, according to reporter Robin Lindgren of the Swedish newspaper Norran. Sandin Pellikka will miss Skelleftea’s this weekend’s games in the Champions Hockey League.

Over the weekend, Lindgren also reported that Sandin Pellikka’s injury was a reaggravation of a previous one. The defenseman missed the SHL preseason due to his injury, and he played just a few shifts before sitting out Skelleftea’s CHL opener against Red Bull Salzburg.

Losing Sandin Pellikka for even a short time — as well as Detroit’s 2024 first round pick, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, to the Red Wings prospect tournament and training camp — is a big loss for Skelleftea. The team is trying to outdo its second place finish in the CHL last season, while it’s also defending a Swedish Hockey League crown. Sandin Pellikka is a big part of the team’s blueline as an offensive facilitator, The two Detroit prospects are among five players currently out of Skelleftea’s lineup.

As far as an injury timeline goes, day to day status might mean that Sandin Pellikka can be back to full strength in time for the SHL regular season.

This season is a big one for Sandin Pellikka’s development, the follow-up to a campaign where he won the Salming Trophy as Sweden’s top Swedish-born defenseman while rivaling stats logged by the likes of Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson in the SHL. This year, after signing his entry-level contract with the Red Wings in May, Sandin Pellikka stayed in Sweden to further develop close to home. This is a patient approach for a defenseman who is the future of the Red Wings’ power play. If injuries derail his season, that could set back his progress.

For now, it appears that Sandin Pellikka’s injury is a manageable one given its day to day status. For Detroit and Skelleftea, both sides should hope that he recovers soon.