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.

The smooth-skating blue liner had some ups and downs at the World Junior Summer Showcase but finished on a high note. He did at times display the poise and puck movement that made the Red Wings draft him at 17th overall in the 2023 draft. In his opener against Team USA, ASP was beaten pretty badly on a Lane Hutson goal that some called the top goal of the tournament. He rebounded against Finland, scoring the game-winning goal with a highlight-reel move of his own. Sandin-Pellikka will still need time to develop in the SHL with Skelleftea AIK this upcoming season, but make no mistake – he has the skills to develop into a top pairing defenseman soon. The 18-year-old has all the tools that NHL executives crave. His lateral movement and edge work are off the charts, and he is good at using his upper body to avoid defenders. The 5-11 Swede is a must-own in all dynasty leagues as he projects to be an important cog in the Detroit organization for years to come.