Nate Danielson was named WHL Player of the week after notching 7 points in 3 games (1G, 6A) and helped his team advance to the finals. It’s been mentioned several times, but he and Sandin-Pellikka are the players I’m most excited to see in the prospects tournament and in camp (assuming both can be there).
There aren’t any guarantees on players, but both Nate and ASP are getting lip service from other teams in the NHL. Detroit certainly needs solid growth at the center and defensive positions. Those two prospects look to be an exciting possibility to bring just that. Congrats to Nate and Portland for an exciting post season thus far.
I’m adding a few more mock drafts but I think it was well said yesterday in the comments. These haven’t been able to pin down Yzerman’s picks, but it is at least interesting to see who is hitting the radar for the analysts.
The sporting news is another outlet predicting that Detroit will take Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. Their breakdown was a bit more enthusiastic than some of what was quoted yesterday. From the article:
15. Detroit Red Wings: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (HockeyAllsvenskan)
The hockey world has never seen a Norwegian prospect as talented as Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. The right winger is incredibly well-rounded with few holes in his game. He does a lot of things well, including scoring from range and handling the puck. While he may not possess that one elite-level skill, there is so much to like about Brandsegg-Nygard's all-around game. The Red Wings love taking Europeans, and land another in Brandsegg-Nygaard.
USA Today posted a trio of picks courtesy of
The bleacher Report, Lines.com and Bleacher Nation. Here are the three picks with their corresponding source. If you have the chance, click over to those three sites. They certainly deserve credit for putting in their 2 cents worth. Add one more guessing that Brandsegg Nygard gets the tap from Detroit out of Bleacher Nation. Adam Jecho at 6’5” a right shot RW (Bleacher report) and Trevor Connelly a 6’0” left shot winger (Lines.com) are new names in the 7 different mock drafts. Here are the quote from the 3 outlets courtesy of USA Today:
Bleacher Report: Adam Jecho, F, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Lines.com: Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)
Bleacher Nation: Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, RW, Mora IK (Sweden)
A trio of new prospects at No. 15 here. Jecho's impressive size and powerful shot is a plus despite his less-than-stellar skate speed. Connelly's dynamic on offense as one of the top players in the USHL thanks to his speed. There are character concerns for him, though. Brandsegg-Nygård is an all-around prospect who plays hard with a great shot and puck skills.
Placzek: "He is probably the most skilled player in the USHL. Has good touch and hands and is always driving play. Has explosive game breaker ability to separate from defenders or drive through defenders to get to the front of the net. Displays superb edge work in his skating where he quickly changes direction while accelerating out of his cuts at top speed."
Bamford: "Brandsegg-Nygård is the kind of prospect who helps the job security of the GM who drafts him. He’s a responsible forward who plays a full, 200-foot game with good size. This feels like the perfect player for Steve Yzerman to add to compliment his veteran lineup at some point as a potential eventual replacement for David Perron."
So, there it is. 4 more kicks at the can. There’s been some solid discussion from all of you, thank you so much for dropping in. Again, Yzerman has been tough to nail down on his picks. Draft stock for individual players will shift up until draft day. Let me know your thoughts, and if any of these drafts hit what you’re hoping for.
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