When the Detroit Red Wings opened up their 2025-26 season, the talk of the town was the rookie talent that had infiltrated the roster. As we approach the halfway point of the season, three rookie skaters have played in 10 games or more: forwards Emmitt Finnie and Nate Danielson, and defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
With the Red Wings looking to turn the corner in their rebuild, the contributions they have received from their youngest players has been significant. But to get a better idea of how well these three rookies have fared this season, you have to consider their individual roles and what those roles require on any given night.
It’s time to tally up each player’s successes and failures and hand out grades to the Red Wings’ freshman players.
Emmitt Finnie: A-/B+
Let’s face it: Emmitt Finnie is one of the best stories coming out of Detroit this season. After a strong season at the junior level put him on the map last season, the former seventh-round selection bypassed the American Hockey League (AHL) entirely and made the Red Wings’ roster out of training camp. The 201st pick of the 2023 draft has primarily lined up next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the team’s top line.
Outside of a complete collapse in the second half of the season, Finnie will get a good grade in articles like this one at the season’s conclusion. He went from “sneaky good prospect” to a legitimate NHL forward in a matter of months – that’s as impressive a feat as you can ask from a 20-year-old. That being said, we’ve already seen areas where the young forward can improve.
Finnie’s role on the top line has been to bring energy and support his talented linemates. Their line controls 53 percent of shots and goals at five-on-five (per Natural Stat Trick) and they pass the eye test as a line that plays fast and can create opportunities on any given shift.
In 92 five-on-five minutes away from Larkin and Raymond, Finnie’s numbers take a noticeable dip. The Red Wings control 49 percent of shots and just 18 percent of goals when Finnie is on the ice without them. This suggests his impact on the top line’s success is fairly minimal, and there’s an appetite for an upgrade in top six partly because of it.
Finnie’s place on the top line is ultimately abount chemistry and his fit in a specific role. That isn’t to say he can’t perform like a legitimate top line player one day, but he’s not there yet. The key for him in the second half of the season should be to find ways to make an impact no matter who he shares the ice with. He has the third-most goals among rookie skaters (nine) and the fifth-most points as well (19).
All things considered, Finnie remains a positive for the Red Wings. His success this season sends a message to the rest of Detroit’s prospect pool that spots on the roster are up for grabs, and your play on the ice matters more than wherever you were drafted. I expect more of the same from him in the second half and would give him 89 out of 100 points if this were a test graded on that type of scale. Depending on where you went to school, that’s either an A-minus or a B-plus.
Nate Danielson: B-
Nate Danielson joined the Red Wings a few weeks into their season after suffering an injury during preseason play. Despite the early setback, Detroit’s top pick in the 2023 draft showed well for himself in four AHL games upon his return before joining the Red Wings on a full-time basis.
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Since arriving in Detroit, Danielson has had to scratch and claw for ice-time, primarily centering one of the team’s bottom two lines. While averaging just over 11 minutes of ice-time, he has been able to flash the playmaking and two-way ability that led him to become the ninth pick in his draft. He is even developing chemistry with Finnie and Marco Kasper, two young forwards that also have the potential to become long-term fixtures in Detroit.
With just seven points in 25 games, he isn’t exactly lighting up the scoresheet. He is also only winning about 37 percent of the faceoffs he takes, a low success rate even for a first-year player. He’s someone that shows plenty of promise, but his current impact is a little hard to quantify.
Ultimately, we’re talking about a 21-year-old figuring out what it takes to survive and thrive in the NHL. Danielson’s offensive upside has been questioned going back to before he was drafted, so perhaps his lack of offensive “punch” shouldn’t be surprising. He seems to have a firmer hold on a roster spot than some of his teammates in a similar age range, which is promising given that he needs more playing time to iron out his game at the NHL level.
This grade feels a little low because Danielson hasn’t been bad by any means. If he can take a significant step forward in the second half of the season, it would go a long way towards the Red Wings ending their playoff drought as well as cementing his place in Detroit’s future.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka: B
There are seven defensemen in the NHL age 20 or younger that have played in at least 20 games this season and Axel Sandin-Pellikka is one of them. The Swedish defender secured a spot in Detroit’s top four in his first full season in North America and has already displayed the talent that put him at the top of Red Wings prospect rankings, including our own.
When Sandin-Pellikka has been at his best, he is assertive all over the ice. He makes quick decisions with the puck, and isn’t afraid to take the puck to the net himself. As a smaller defenseman, he has the offensive instincts you usually hope to see in a player of his size. While there are certainly more reliable defenders on Detroit’s roster, his defensive game is progressing with each passing game, and there are times where you can literally see it in action.
As is often the case with defensemen of his ilk, Sandin-Pellikka does have games where he struggles to keep up defensively. He makes rookie mistakes, and his youth can sometimes be exposed by the rugged veterans of the NHL. None of this should be unexpected, but that doesn’t change reality. Good defense leads to offense, and it feels like he’ll really break out once he embodies that idea.
There are nights where Sandin-Pellikka’s game feels C-grade and even some where it feels D-grade. He rarely feels like a problem though, and that feels somewhat significant given how hard it has been for the Red Wings to find quality defensemen throughout their rebuild. He gets some credit for bypassing the AHL, and you see the potential to be a difference-maker from time to time. While there is room for improvement, “ASP” should feel good about his season so far.
How would you grade the Red Wings’ rookie skaters? Let us know in the comments section!