Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson continues to turn heads

The Detroit Red Wings drafted Nate Danielson with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Level Draft, and not only does he continue to turn heads, he appears to be knocking on the Red Wings' door, hoping someone answers sooner rather than later.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has a type when it comes to draft prospects. He usually searches for skilled two-way, 200-foot centers and towering, physical defenders. It's not always the case, depending on how the draft board shapes up, but you can't deny the common trend in his recent draft history. Again, there are exceptions to every rule. Axel Sandin-Pellika doesn't fit the mold I laid out, but offensive potential and overall skill trump the Yzerman-prototypical defender in this case. But Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson each check a couple of the boxes, as do Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson.

As you know, Yzerman usually likes his prospects to marinate, perhaps overcook, and work their way up through the ranks; again, there are exceptions to the rule, à la Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.

Nate Danielson catches the eye of Patrick Kane, Andrew Copp, and Derek Lalonde.

Is Nate Danielson on the fast track to joining the Detroit Red Wings? It's unlikely that Danielson will begin the year with Detroit, but depending on how things shake out, he is poised to be the first forward called up from Grand Rapids if injuries occur. That said, he's garnered the attention of a few influential figures within the organization.

"Danielson is really impressive," Kane said. "Lot of skill. Kind of reminds me a little of Bedard the way he plays and the way he stick-handles and shoots. He looks like he has a bright future."

"Hockey, as much as it is fast and skill and skating, if you’re a smart player, you can play for a long time," Copp said. "I think the most important attribute in a hockey player is your brain, so when you see guys like that, that come in and know where to be, know how to play within the system, know when to instinctually make plays with the puck and without the puck, getting to the right areas, that’s the most important thing in hockey."

Last but not least, his future head coach on whether Danielson's 200-foot game helps when it comes to trusting a young player. "It helps,"coach Derek Lalonde said. "Because a lot of times when you have young players, you’re teaching them the game a little bit — the ‘B game,' the hockey sense, the feel, managing a game — habits, maybe. He seems to already instinctively have some of that ‘B game.' So that’s exciting.

Danielson, 20, looks the part of an NHL top-two center; he's poised, creative, has a decent shot, has proven the ability to finish on a regular basis, and is a reliable 200-foot player. Danielson really flashed during the World Junior tournament this past winter for Team Canada. The Red Wings prospect was slated to be a depth forward for the Canadians, but thanks to some stellar play, he found himself as a preferred option down the middle for Canada. Danielson embodied a workhorse mentality and provided more than just being an energy line. The young center scored once and added two helpers over five games during the tournament.

Danielson is firmly Detroit's top right-handed (forward) prospect and excelled during his final year of junior hockey. He split time between the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he spent three years and served as the team captain, and was traded to the Portland Winterhawks mid-season. The crafty center accumulated 24 goals and 67 points last year between the two over 54 games. He'd then add seven goals and 24 points over 18 postseason games. Danielson got his first taste of professional hockey late in the year, appearing in a pair of postseason contests, but failed to record a point.

"I think my game as a whole has grown," he said. "I don’t think there’s one area that’s really stuck out. I think the summer was good for me — I put some weight on and got stronger, so that’s something that will help me this year. Especially in the corners — there’s a lot of big D-men, so just an extra couple pounds makes a big difference and helps with winning battles and little things like that. Obviously my goal is to make the team, so you can fall into that area where you try to force it a little bit too much, and do a bit too much," he said. "I just try to go out there and play my game and stick to what I’m good at."