It has only been five games, but 21-year-old Nate Danielson may have already changed the trajectory for this year's Red Wings and beyond.
Danielson was shut out in his first four career games. Then, against the Seattle Kraken, the former first-round draft pick fully made his presence known. He established a strong net-front presence, deflecting a puck for his first goal in the second period.
Danielson followed that with a tremendous assist, recovering a loose puck and making a beautiful pass to fellow rookie Emmitt Finnie for a goal.
While a two-point game is great for any rookie, Danielson’s best play of the night will not appear on the scoresheet.
Less than three minutes after his first career goal, Danielson recovered a puck away from three Kraken, evaded the defense, deked around the goalie, and scored. We may be prisoners of the moment, but it was one of the prettiest goals any Red Wings has scored in a long time.
Unfortunately, Finnie was barely offside and the goal was called back. Despite not counting, it demonstrated Danielson’s elite goal scoring and playmaking potential.
As has been the case for the other Red Wings rookies, Danielson will inevitably run into growing pains at some point this year. However, assuming he continues to grow and develop at this rate, how can he affect the future in Detroit?
The Red Wings are suddenly youthful and Danielson is leading the charge
In the blink of an eye, the Red Wings went from a veteran-heavy lineup with no depth to a young roster with potential.
Alongside Finnie and Danielson, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Marco Kasper are not yet in their primes despite already performing at high levels. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård should return to the Wings after a brief stint to start the year. Max Plante, William Wallinder, and Amadeus Lombardi will also be in Detroit soon.
It would still be nice if general manager Steve Yzerman made a blockbuster trade, but the successful draft and development system he has established cannot be denied.
With all this young talent, what makes Danielson so special? He can fill a hole that has long been present on the Red Wings: center. As good as Dylan Larkin is, he could use some help on the first line or at the very least have a more reliable center behind him on the second line.
Yzerman has tried filling these holes with veterans like J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp, which obviously has not worked out. Kasper has shown flashes, though he may be better suited as a winger or a third-line center.
Danielson, meanwhile, has the potential to fill this hole. Evident by his performance versus the Kraken, he can score and playmake better than most current Wings. He also has the size, speed, and hockey IQ to be an effective two-way player.
Saying he will be like Macklin Celebrini and immediately become one of the best centers in hockey as a rookie may be an overstatement, yet Danielson could at least approach that status soon, which would be a blessing for the Red Wings.
Danielson’s impact goes far beyond the 2025-26 season, but him developing quickly into a strong center could change the course of this year for Detroit. He would give the Wings three effective lines, something they have not had for several years.