The Detroit Red Wings have hailed their Taxi

For the longest time, the Detroit Red Wings were as soft as a roll of Charmin. 

Whether it was on the scoresheet or a physical hit, players would just give up midway through a game. Worse yet, they wouldn’t bite back when challenged physically. It was disappointing to say the least.

There were single situations we could point to and say, “hey, they tried!” Those moments were too few and far between. Red Wings fans had plenty of questions: why are players here? What is the team’s identity? Will we ever be a serious team again?

Oh no, here we go again. 

It’s hard for one player to come in and change a franchise. However, one guy can definitely drag others into the fight. While Keegan Kolesar definitely adds physicality and helps bring teammates into the fight, 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård becoming one of the most effective forwards on Detroit’s roster

The Taxi, Panda, MBN...whatever you want to call him, Brandsegg-Nygård is a force on the ice.

Going from just another prototypical Steve Yzerman selection in his draft year, Brandsegg-Nygård has changed opinions for the better. 

Red Wings head coach, Todd McLellan said it best:

According to the NHL’s website, Brandsegg-Nygård leads the team (impressive for a team that includes Kolesar, Rasmussen, and Moritz Seider) with 22 hits.

Standing at just 6’1” and weighing in at 207 lbs, Brandsegg-Nygård uses every inch and pound to his advantage. (Honestly, I thought we was a few inches taller, his imposing stature is deceiving—a stark contrast to some guys well over 6’5” that play like they’re less than 5’ tall).

The number of times opponents have tried to catch him off guard, or try to deliver a crushing hit only to watch them bounce off a brick wall is amusing. Each game, Brandsegg-Nygård manages to get a chuckle from me (the Brandsegg-Nygård chuckle to be more specific). 

Brandsegg-Nygård’s physicality is stupendous, but he’s far from a one-trick pony. 

Brandsegg-Nygård has a heck of a shot. The Wings need players able to put the puck on the net like him. He loves ripping shots from anywhere, but is just as comfortable driving the net to score from inside the paint.

He's also a just a great addition to his newly found home (in terms of linemates).

Red Wings play better with MBN on the ice

As of Wednesday, October 14, Natural Stat Trick shows that for lines (specifically for the Red Wings) that played over 30 minutes together at five-on-five, the Alex DeBrincat, Emmitt Finnie and Brandsegg-Nygård line combination has played together for a combined time on ice of 49:39 with a Corsi For Percentage (CF%) of 59.46%. This means that the Red Wings possess the puck more and generate more offense when the DeBrincat, Finnie and Brandsegg-Nygård line are on the ice.

In short, while his line is aided by superstar DeBrincat and impressive sophomore Finnie, Brandsegg-Nygård certainly adds a dimension to the line. His aggressive play acts as a gravity, drawing defenders to him like a moth on a flame, while DeBrincat is able to find quiet areas of the ice and Finnie is able to buzz around with fewer objections. 

The dynamic line is one that other lines should take notes from. They keep each other honest, play hard, and they seem to have a blast while doing it. (It’s difficult not to have a god time when Brandsegg-Nygård is on the ice—a guy that everyone wants on their team and hates playing against). 

As time goes on, it’s only fitting that Brandsegg-Nygård’s time on ice and roles within the team increase with the Detroit Red Wings. 

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