The Red Wings went back to the Swedish well with the No. 17 pick in the NHL Draft Wednesday night, taking defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka.
The gifted offensive blueliner said he had a hunch he would land in Detroit after getting positive reviews from Red Wings scouts in Sweden this season.
"I've had great talks with Detroit before," he said on ESPN shortly after being drafted. "I had a great feeling when they were going up to pick, and I was very happy when they picked me."
The 5'11 Sandin Pellikka doesn't have the size that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has prioritized on the blueline, but he has a high ceiling as a puck-mover and scorer. He's a right-hand shot who put up 36 points in 31 games this season in Sweden's top junior league, where he earned best defenseman honors. He was also named best defenseman at the U18 Worlds this spring.
Yzerman has bolstered Detroit's defensive corps from the moment he arrived and drafted Moritz Seider sixth overall. He's since added Simon Edvinsson and William Wallinder, who should play meaningful roles for the Wings next season, and trade acquisition Jake Walman. Sandin Pellikka is the latest addition to what could be an elite blueline in the future.
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He's also the latest in a long line of Swedish players called to Detroit, including Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and two of Yzerman's first-round picks in Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond. He said the Red Wings' "Swedish scouts talked to me a lot" this season "and they liked me."
"I have a great feeling about the organization," said Sandin Pellikka, "and I'm excited to join them."
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