Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres had a strong finish at the end of the 2022-233 regular season, but finished just one point shy of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Since the team finished so well, its draft pick isn't as high as years past, as they will be drafting 13th overall.
LISTEN LIVE TO WGR:
In the first edition of our 2023 NHL Draft prospect profiles, we'll take a look overseas in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) at defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka of Skelleftea AIK.
Sandin Pellikka is the only Swedish player in our draft series, and is one of the few ranked in the first round.
The Gallivare native is ranked seventh among all European skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He has been projected to be drafted between the fifth and 16th overall selections, which puts him in range of the Sabres' pick.
Profile:
Axel Sandin Pellikka is very small compared to many of the other top defensive players at just 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds. Despite being one of the smallest defensive prospects, Sandin Pellikka is regarded as one of the best, if not the best offensive defenseman in the class.
The 18-year-old has spent his junior years playing with Skelleftea AIK's program, and even appeared in a handful of games at the SHL level during the 2022-23 campaign. In 53 games this year between the two leagues, he recorded 41 points. He scored the most goals (16) of all defenseman in the J20 Nationell, and won the award for the best defenseman of the league.
Sandin Pellikka also played a prominent role for Sweden in their run at the IIHF U-18 World Championship, where the team earned a silver medal. Sandin Pellikka recorded 11 points in seven games played during the tournament, and earned honors as a tournament All-Star.
Positives:
While watching his play, one thing is abundantly clear: Sandin Pellikka is a textbook offensive defenseman.
He has incredible skill when it comes to skating and evading his opponents. He is effortlessly elusive, using some great edgework to work his way out of tricky situations.
The defenseman can easily receive a puck near the blue line in the offensive zone and keep the play alive and create a chance with his smooth hands and quick feet.
He also has great vision on both sides of the puck. While his team has possession of the puck, he is always looking one or two steps ahead of the play. He also has the same ability when it comes to the defensive zone.
Sandin Pellikka has the hockey IQ to see what his opponent will do before they know they’re going to do it, and cause a disruption in play.
Negatives:
One of the glaring negatives that can’t really be changed is his size. Sandin Pellikka is one of the smallest defensive prospects in the draft, and that may not translate well when entering the NHL.
While there have been great NHL players who were considered small, most of them were forwards. While he could add some muscle to help handle the bigger competition, this will be a tough transition for him in the North American game.
One skill-based negative he possesses is the lack of complexity. Oftentimes, Sandin Pellikka will use one or two moves to fool his defenders early on in a game, but as time goes on, those defenders learn these moves and he can’t beat them as easily.
This also comes into play when he is breaking the puck out of his own zone. His passes can become predictable, or even forced at times.
NHL comparison:
Throughout this season, there was one player Sandin Pellikka was constantly linked to: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. While the two aren’t quite on the same level, they did have very similar scoring analytics in the same league.
However, a player he closely compares to more is Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes. Sandin Pellikka has even said he models his game after the small, mobile defenseman.
Hughes has been a dynamic player for the Canucks since coming into the league during the 2019-20 season.
Hughes is even smaller than Sandin Pellikka, standing at just 5-foot-10, but plays a similar game in the role of a transitional defenseman with great offensive upside. Hughes has recorded 241 points just in 283 games played in his young career.
Where does he fit on the Sabres?
The Sabres already have two offensive powerhouses on the blue line in Dahlin and Owen Power, but these two players are both left-shot defenders. Sandin Pellikka is a right-shot blue liner.
The right side of defense has been something the Sabres have lacked for some time now, with the only bright spot being Mattias Samuelsson, who's also a left-shot defenseman.
Sandin Pellikka would slot nicely into a second-pair role with Power in a few years time, and add more offensive output on Buffalo's back end.
