A skilled power forward, he was effective when healthy but his career was marred by injuries due to his physical style of play.

He was a member of the 1997 Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings team, and assisted on Darren McCarty's game-winning goal in the deciding Game 4.

The line displayed its full dominance in the 1990 first round series against the defending Stanley Cup champion and the Western Conference regular season champion Calgary Flames, particularly in game 4, with both Sandström and Granato along with Dave Taylor scoring hat tricks while Gretzky had a goal and five assists in a 12–4 rout.

[7] Sandström was a key component of the Kings' run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, after missing most of the regular season with a broken jaw.

In August 1997, Sandström signed as a free agent with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim,[10] where he would spend the last two seasons of his NHL career.