Red Wings Will Give Axel Sandin-Pellikka A Chance On Four-Game Road Trip

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The Detroit Red Wings are on the road for the next four games, starting with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena (9:40 p.m. ET). 

Not only has head coach Todd McLellan confirmed that goaltender Daniil Tarasov will get the start between the pipes, but that defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who has played only six of Detroit's first eight games, will see playing time on this trip. 

As far as what the young Swedish blue-liner needs to improve on, head coach Todd McLellan didn't indicate that there was anything new that had come up. 

"I don't think anything has changed from any of our other conversations with Axe, he's an important player," McLellan said. 

Not only did McLellan say that he would see the ice, but that what must happen in order to continue getting ice time is to provide the offensive spark that he's shown flashes of, along with continuing in the defensive aspects of his game. 

"He's going to play on this trip, and he has to provide us with that dynamic offensive game that he has, and he has to be able to defend well enough to prevent goals from being scored," he said. 

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Despite the absence of Simon Edvinsson, who remains an unsigned RFA amidst his contract standoff with the Red Wings, the club has benefitted from the emergence of rookies Anton Johansson and William Wallinder, the latter of which has played in all eight games this season. 

Meanwhile, in the six games that Sandin-Pellikka has played so far in 2026-27, his ice time has dipped to just over 12 minutes per game, whereas last season, he skated in just over 16 minutes of average ice time per game. 

The Red Wings still have high hopes for Sandin-Pellikka, whom they selected in the first round (17th overall pick) of the 2023 NHL Draft. 

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