Red Wings select Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka with 17th overall pick in NHL draft
(CBS DETROIT) - For their second pick in the first round, the Detroit Red Wings selected Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka as 17th overall in the NHL draft Wednesday.
Sandin Pellikka, who played for Skellefteå AIK, was selected after the team picked Canadian center Nate Danielson as ninth overall.
Standing at 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, the 18-year-old became a dominant player for the Swedish national team.
He split his 2021-22 season between Skellefteå AIK's under-20 and under-18 teams and represented Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
He ranked second on the NHL's Central Scouting list among international defensemen ahead of the 2023 draft.
