There’s a logjam in Detroit, but Axel Sandin-Pellikka is the one paying for it.
The Red Wings have been better about giving their prospects real ice time, but that hasn’t been the case for Sandin-Pellikka. While Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Anton Johanssen have gotten plenty of chances, Sandin-Pellikka has been left in an awkward spot.
His last game came on October 20, and he has now sat out three straight games. At this point, it’s not even clear when he’ll get back on the ice.
That creates the obvious question: what exactly is the benefit of keeping a young defenseman around if he isn’t playing?
If there’s no room for him in Detroit, the cleaner move would seem to be sending him back to Grand Rapids. There, he could play top minutes for the Griffins instead of sitting on the sidelines in the NHL. From a development standpoint, that path makes a lot more sense than letting him collect rust.
The alternative is straightforward, too: give him a real chance.
Right now, Sandin-Pellikka appears to be in a sort of rotation with William Wallinder, although Wallinder seems to be gaining more of the available ice time. The problem is that this kind of stop-and-start usage doesn’t do much for either player.
If the Red Wings are going to use NHL minutes on young defenders, those minutes need to come consistently. This back-and-forth setup helps neither Sandin-Pellikka nor Wallinder establish any rhythm.
And longer term, Detroit has bigger decisions looming on the blue line.
The team has to sort out what it wants its defense to look like going forward. Does Justin Faulk become a trade candidate?
Does Andreas Englund stay in the picture? What happens when Simon Edvinsson comes back?
Those questions are stacking up, and the longer they go unanswered, the more complicated the roster picture becomes.
For now, the Red Wings seem stuck in a holding pattern. Until the Dylan Larkin trade request is resolved and Simon Edvinsson either signs a contract or gets traded, major roster movement probably isn’t coming. That’s before even getting to Michal Postava, who made a strong impression in a small sample on the west coast road trip.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has plenty to juggle, and there doesn’t seem to be much breathing room. Between Larkin, Edvinsson, the defense logjam, Postava and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Horcoff has a lot to sort through once things start moving. For now, the hope is that once the Larkin and/or Edvinsson situations are settled, the Red Wings will have a clearer idea of what comes next for Sandin-Pellikka.
In Other News...
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The biggest moments only sharpened the intrigue. Postava held up against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl when the game went to the skills contest, while Detroit found a way to rally late and extend the night before Lucas Raymond finished it off in the shootout. For a team always watching the crease closely, this was the kind of debut that makes people look twice. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Win Left The Oilers With A New Lineup Concern
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Hyman is expected to miss at least a week while he goes through concussion protocol, and Edmonton still has not put a firm return date on him. Head coach Mike Babcock has already voiced concern about how injuries are affecting the lineup, and with Hyman out, the Oilers are left to rework things again while hoping this setback stays relatively short-term. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Have A Goaltending Question Fans Didn't Expect
Michal Postavas first NHL start gave the Red Wings a fresh look in net on a night when they needed every bit of it. Detroit outlasted the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout, with the young goalie stepping into a high-pressure spot and the club doing enough defensively to keep key Edmonton threats from taking over the game. It was the kind of debut that can make a team pause and think a little differently about its crease, even if the sample size is still tiny.
The bigger question now is what comes next for a Red Wings team that just found a new variable in goal at an unpredictable moment. Detroit heads back to Little Caesars Arena to face the Chicago Blackhawks, and the way the staff handles the goalie situation will be worth watching after a win built on resilience, late-game poise and a rookie getting thrown right into the fire. [Read more 🡒]