Sandin-Pellikka’s first NHL season is behind him, and the upside, much like his flaws, was on full display. His ability to create offense is the real deal, quick, manipulative and accurate. Sandin-Pellikka should be a mainstay on Detroit’s power-play units down the line. The question is if he can earn and hold down the first power-play unit or if he will do most of his work on the second. The problem he faces is dealing with the sheer size disadvantage he has against most players, and it will be something he will never be able to fully overcome. Sandin-Pellikka will have to continue to gain experience and learn to play nearly mistake-free defense, as he lacks the margins larger players have with their reach and leverage. He doesn’t possess the skating base that other similar undersized offensive defensemen who have lit up the league have. He will be a high-scoring defenseman. A decent point swing will come depending on whether he can one day get deployment on the first power-play unit or not. With first power-play time, the 60-point range should be possible with a shot for more, and closer to 45 if he gets the majority of his time on the second unit.

Sandin-Pellikka had one of the best years as a teenager in SHL history. He just got better as the year progressed, and it culminated with him scoring eight points in 11 SHL playoff games, an incredible rate for a defenseman. He made the jump to North American hockey and played in five games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he looked solid despite a lack of production. Sandin-Pellikka has the upside to be one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL and would be an invaluable pickup for any fantasy hockey team. While he may not break into the NHL next year, potentially taking a year to get used to North American ice in the AHL, it will not be too long before he is in the NHL. He has high-end skating, puck handling, and passing, coupled with a shot that can beat netminders clean. Sandin-Pellikka is precisely the type of defenseman that NHL teams covet. While the defense may not be the best, the rest of his game more than compensates for that and should lead to a lengthy NHL career at the top of a lineup.

If he wasn’t already high on the radar of fantasy owners before, ASP’s hat trick early in the WJC certainly did. Elite skill from the blue line, Sandin-Pellikka ended the tourney with 10 points in seven games, leading Team Sweden in scoring and finishing tied for second in the tournament overall, winning the WJC Best Defenseman. Playing with men in the SHL while still a teenager, he tallied 29 points in 46 games, winning the SHL Best Junior Award. He’s exceptionally talented and is vying for a Detroit roster spot in the fall. It’s not a question of if Detroit’s talented young D can make room for ASP on the power play – it will soon be, can ASP make room for the likes of Seider and Edvinsson? –

Sandin Pellikka excels at recovering dump-ins with poise and disrupting plays at his blue line, then exiting the defensive zone with control and making a strong first pass. His ten goals represented a significant contribution from the back end, especially from a teenager, and his playmaking shone when he chose to use it. He is an extremely mobile and deceptive puck handler, evading opponents with ease and constantly threatening with the man advantage. Sandin Pellikka was recently named the top Swedish-born defenseman in the SHL after fueling his team to a championship (seven points in 14 games), accolades that confirm his arrival as a high-end fantasy asset. He will return to Sweden for one more year before presumably beginning his Red Wings audition with Grand Rapids in 2025-26.

Sandin Pellikka took his game to new heights this year, playing against men in Sweden’s top league at age 19. He was awarded the Salming Trophy (top Swedish-born defenceman) after scoring 18 points in 39 games with Skellefteå, including three in five playoff matches. His flashes of dynamism have become more consistent and impressive in his Draft+1 campaign, and his poise and confidence with the puck have grown noticeably as well. He is well on his way to realizing his potential as a future top-pairing power play quarterback for the Red Wings.