Prospect Info: 15th Overall, Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard

OgeeOgelthorpe

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DamonDRW

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When I read his scouting reports it is always heavy accurate shot, good speed, high hockey IQ, 200 ft game, doing dirty work, etc.

What are the shortcomings? By reading that it seems we drafted Hossa at 15... Then why 14 teams passed on him? Is this because he is a winger?
 

norrisnick

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Apr 14, 2005
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When I read his scouting reports it is always heavy accurate shot, good speed, high hockey IQ, 200 ft game, doing dirty work, etc.

What are the shortcomings? By reading that it seems we drafted Hossa at 15... Then why 14 teams passed on him? Is this because he is a winger?
Hossa was drafted 12th...
 

HisNoodliness

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Jun 29, 2014
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When I read his scouting reports it is always heavy accurate shot, good speed, high hockey IQ, 200 ft game, doing dirty work, etc.

What are the shortcomings? By reading that it seems we drafted Hossa at 15... Then why 14 teams passed on him? Is this because he is a winger?
Personally, I'm not as high on his hockey IQ as these reports. I'm more or less convinced that I had a couple of bad viewings though and it's more of a strength than I give it credit for. I've just seen him skate a puck directly into traffic too often.

Places also will compliment his hands but even if we can find select clips of him dangling, I really don't think that's a part of his game. He'd rather make the safe play-drive wide, find an open pass, put a shot on- than to take a risk on a move. Perhaps that criticism can be extended to his offensive game as a whole. He tries to keep possession and get shots more than trying to score.

His counting stats weren't that impressive. That can reinforce an impression like mine above.

I'm with you though. When I read a scouting report of MBN I go "this sounds like a 4th overall pick. Where's the rub?"
 

OgeeOgelthorpe

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When I read his scouting reports it is always heavy accurate shot, good speed, high hockey IQ, 200 ft game, doing dirty work, etc.

What are the shortcomings? By reading that it seems we drafted Hossa at 15... Then why 14 teams passed on him? Is this because he is a winger?

I think it could be the Anze Kopitar effect; guy is the first first rounder from a country not known for producing many quality NHLers.

There’s also worry about the Allsvenskan being a lower tier league. The teams there are probably on par or close with the bottom tier of AHL teams.

I really think if he played in the OHL he would have put up 35-40 goals and been talked about more as a top 10 pick.
 

Astyanax

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May 5, 2020
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I think it could be the Anze Kopitar effect; guy is the first first rounder from a country not known for producing many quality NHLers.

There’s also worry about the Allsvenskan being a lower tier league. The teams there are probably on par or close with the bottom tier of AHL teams.

I really think if he played in the OHL he would have put up 35-40 goals and been talked about more as a top 10 pick.
This is an excellent point. I remember being shocked that he fell to LA. (Full, disclosure, I was ok if not thrilled with kindle, so?) But back then draft eligibles rarely played on the senior circuit, and Kopitar outproduced most who had.
 
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Henkka

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Jan 31, 2004
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I like very much of these small Euro country picks, because when they have to participate at WHC, they are 1st liners with huge duties against Top country top competition.

That kind of breaks the rule from their regular teams and as an experiment, can't see nothing else but better development on the career path.

Seider, Kasper, MBN etc.

Also, when they are developing in Sweden, it's kind of the ideal platform for all.

I would also say that best Finns should go to Sweden, to face the tougher competition, like Artturi Lehkonen did.
 
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Alex Thrasher

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I like very much of these small Euro country picks, because when they have to participate at WHC, they are 1st liners with huge duties against Top country top competition.

That kind of breaks the rule from their regular teams and as an experiment, can't see nothing else but better development on the career path.

Seider, Kasper, MBN etc.

Also, when they are developing in Sweden, it's kind of the ideal platform for all.

I would also say that best Finns should go to Sweden, to face the tougher competition, like Artturi Lehkonen did.
It almost feels similar to when the Wings first started targeting russian/swedish players before the rest of the league caught on. Seems like they might be sending extra looks to these countries that people don't consider to be the best of the best. You see a kid that likely grew up training in Norway/Austria/Germany and have much less at their disposal than countries where more money is poured into hockey development. Suddenly, you have kids that have excelled at the same level as these first-round prospects with quite possibly a more difficult road to get here.
 

Ed Ned and Leddy

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I feel like a dead-horse-beater/wet blanket at this point but MBN was entirely well-scouted. He’s been playing in Sweden since what, D-1(?) and has logged minutes at most of the international tournaments. I really don’t see what increased exposure he’d have received if he were a Swedish national instead of Norwegian. If anything he probably gets less exposure at the international level. The Kopitar draft was 20 years ago, every team has plenty of eyeballs on the Swedish leagues in 2024.

He could be a phenomenal player and a draft riser but I really don’t think him being Norwegian has been a meaningful hindrance to his draft stock.
 
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Realgud

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It almost feels similar to when the Wings first started targeting russian/swedish players before the rest of the league caught on. Seems like they might be sending extra looks to these countries that people don't consider to be the best of the best. You see a kid that likely grew up training in Norway/Austria/Germany and have much less at their disposal than countries where more money is poured into hockey development. Suddenly, you have kids that have excelled at the same level as these first-round prospects with quite possibly a more difficult road to get here.
That might be true for prospects playing in their home country but MBN has been playing in Sweden for the last 2 years so it's not like the Wings went out of their way to see him play in an obscure league or anything like that.
 

Rzombo4 prez

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I feel like a dead-horse-beater/wet blanket at this point but MBN was entirely well-scouted. He’s been playing in Sweden since what, D-1(?) and has logged minutes at most of the international tournaments. I really don’t see what increased exposure he’d have received if he were a Swedish national instead of Norwegian. If anything he probably gets less exposure at the international level. The Kopitar draft was 20 years ago, every team has plenty of eyeballs on the Swedish leagues in 2024.

He could be a phenomenal player and a draft riser but I really don’t think him being Norwegian has been a meaningful hindrance to his draft stock.
I am with you. He was playing in a league in Sweden well known to all pro scouts. He was in plain sight for all to see and evalutate.
 

Tatar Shots

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His flaws are being glossed over. Sure, he could have gone a few picks earlier, but for a top pick he is a pretty mediocre skater and playmaker. He’s far from a well rounded, sure fire top 5 sort of pick.
 

OldnotDeadWings

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Being a young athlete in Norway, in almost any sport, is far from a disadvantage. Physical fitness as part of overall health wellness is a huge emphasis. There is regular physical testing of teenagers of both sexes as part of mandatory conscription. Regular participation at fitness centers by the overall population is higher than any European country. Young Norwegian athletes who participate in any of their most common sports receive elite training/coaching. Those in other sports don't have to travel far to find anything that's missing. Norway far outperforms its population numbers in international sport competition. It's won more medals in Winter Olympics than any country and over the last ten years they've made inroads in less typical events, with some of the world's best athletes in football, track and field, tennis, golf. It's just about the right time for their first great hockey player.
 

OgeeOgelthorpe

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I am with you. He was playing in a league in Sweden well known to all pro scouts. He was in plain sight for all to see and evalutate.

So was Kopitar in his draft year. Scouts will still consider it a negative against a player if they come from a country that isn’t a traditional pro producer. You’ll read about it in comments on scouting articles and draft guides.
 

Rzombo4 prez

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His flaws are being glossed over. Sure, he could have gone a few picks earlier, but for a top pick he is a pretty mediocre skater and playmaker. He’s far from a well rounded, sure fire top 5 sort of pick.
His skating (both technically and in terms of explosiveness) are both in the top 10% of this draft class. Mediocre is not the word I would have used.

He is, however, a very direct player and I think it is natural to question what the ceiling is on his playmaking. I expect it will get better, but I am not sure it will ever be a strength of his game.
 
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JoesuffP

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Feb 3, 2016
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Is it more likely one of the 3 centre they draft pops off offensively and become a Kopitar type or they they draft a boom or bust type guy that scores 100 points? I think Stevie is just playing the odds
 

Webster

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The other 1st round pick this year from Norway (#23), Stian Solberg, was picked by Anaheim. Solberg has only played in his home country, and on the national team. Anaheim said they've followed him for a long time, so it's not like NHL scouts don't follow the Norwegian top league.

It's a league that's getting better btw, thanks to a lot of ex NHL'ers. But they're also helping Norwegian kids in their development, and now we're starting to see the results.
 
He is, however, a very direct player and I think it is natural to question what the ceiling is on his playmaking. I expect it will get better, but I am not sure it will ever be a strength of his game.
Correct, but he doesn't have to become a great playmaker to have huge value for us. Forecheck with meaningful hits that change posession, a hound in the corners that retrieves pucks, solid defensively and score 20+ goals.

If he is can do that, and i think he will, then he will be huge for us.
 

OgeeOgelthorpe

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His skating (both technically and in terms of explosiveness) are both in the top 10% of this draft class. Mediocre is not the word I would have used.

He is, however, a very direct player and I think it is natural to question what the ceiling is on his playmaking. I expect it will get better, but I am not sure it will ever be a strength of his game.

He’s a goal scoring winger. He’s not going to put up 60 assists a season like Marner but he’s still far from Grabner or Berezin level of goal differentials.

I forget which site, but someone said that his high end could look like a 35-35 guy. That ain’t bad.
 
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Euro Twins

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His flaws are being glossed over. Sure, he could have gone a few picks earlier, but for a top pick he is a pretty mediocre skater and playmaker. He’s far from a well rounded, sure fire top 5 sort of pick.

Where did you get this info? Everything I've read about him says his skating is good to great and one of his strengths. Obviously his shot is his biggest asset but his skating is not a weakness.

Do you have some articles talking about his mediocre skating, or some footage that isn't a highlight reel that shows it?
 
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Tatar Shots

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Where did you get this info? Everything I've read about him says his skating is good to great and one of his strengths. Obviously his shot is his biggest asset but his skating is not a weakness.

Do you have some articles talking about his mediocre skating, or some footage that isn't a highlight reel that shows it?

I’ve watched him play. I said he is mediocre for a top of the draft pick in response to comments that he should have gone higher than 15. Luchanko and Helenius, who were the forwards taken right before him, are both better skaters.
 

GreytWun

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I’ve watched him play. I said he is mediocre for a top of the draft pick in response to comments that he should have gone higher than 15. Luchanko and Helenius, who were the forwards taken right before him, are both better skaters.

He can improve his skating.

John Tavares was not a great skater. He turned out pretty good.
 

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