"I just try and focus on my game and see what comes after that:" Axel Sandin Pellikka driving for first round in 2023 NHL Draft

It wasn't looking so good for Axel Sandin Pellikka when the first wave of 2023 NHL Draft rankings dropped. Many in the industry didn't see the Swedish defenceman as a first-round prospect.

There was a shared appreciation for his smooth skating and the separating gear that he's shown throughout this season and how that can help him at both ends of the rink, but skepticism still lingered about the translatability of his profile.

“I [have] been trying to get better every game since the Hlinka tournament,” Sandin Pellikka told EP Rinkside. “The longer the game goes, the more you have the puck, the more confidence you get. I want to be an offensive defenceman. It feels good.”

Sandin Pellikka did some good things at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament and then followed it up with a strong showing at the