Prospect Info: 15th Overall, Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard

[Shaman464]

Then you haven't bothered to look.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård Scouting Report: 2024 NHL Draft #11

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is set to become the first-ever Norwegian player selected in the first round after an outstanding season in Sweden.

lastwordonsports.com

"In terms of a versatile and complete two-way player in the 2024 NHL draft, none are more ready than Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. While his skating and poise with the puck does require some work, he is nearly ready for the NHL already. This is due to his amazing hockey sense and amazing adaptability. He never seems to be flustered when thrown into a new situation and can adapt and learn faster than most. This makes Brandsegg-Nygård a great pick for someone looking to find a player ready for the NHL after next season."

2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard | Inside The Rink

The Scouting Report: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, born on October 6th, 2005, is a top-eligible prospect in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Norwegian phenomenon can become the highest-ever drafted prospect out of Norway in NHL Draft History. Marius Holtet was the highest every Norwegian-born player at...

insidetherink.com

"Brandsegg-Nygard’s a crafty winger with a lot of potential; he’s pushed the limits and is setting his own goals now. His game is incredibly complete, and he’s got a nice scoring touch to what he does, and he relies on his many strengths to help him play to the very end. The confidence is shown in his skating and shooting, and he might immediately step into the NHL because of it."

Is Brandsegg-Nygard close to pro-ready and a possibility for Flyers?

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard’s “maturity level and composure are off the charts.” Does he have enough upside for the Flyers at No. 12 in the 2024 NHL draft?

www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

"He doesn't come at you with a lot of flash or bang or anything, but he has got the hockey IQ to be a really strong two-way forward," Marr said. "His maturity level and composure are off the charts, so he could be a little more pro-ready than a lot of players that are in this draft class. It's going to be intriguing to see where the teams consider him because you're drafting somebody here who's going to have a short runway to the National Hockey League."


If you want to question his ceiling, go ahead. But questioning how long he will take to be an NHL regular just makes you look silly, because MBN is one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the draft who checks every box to get at least a handful of games in the 2025-26 season.

You quoted two trash sources (last word and rink) and a local source. Being two years from the NHL out of Europe would make him one of the most NHL ready prospects outside of the top 3. And I dont doubt he could get a call up in his D+2 but he’s not likely to be a full time NHLer until at least his D+3. And it’s very likely it’ll take a couple seasons for him to become a core player if he ever does. That puts Larkin around 33. Which is the point I was making. By the time he could be core player Larkin likely won’t be one much longer if at all.

 

[Winger98]

I have consulted the mystical oracle (it's the piss-trough from the Joe, it's been relocated to a secret chamber known only to actual shamans, and not dudes who name themselves Shaman69 on hockey boards.)

Brandsegg-Nygaard (we need an abbreviation for this -- Brandy or Aardvark or something) will play 2024-25 in Sweden, will start in Grand Rapids in 2025-26, but will get a call-up late in the season that year, and will stick. He'll fill in for an injury on the second line and will stay there and push that guy down to third line. He'll be an immediate impact player. Dylan Larkin will be 29 years old.

The oracle has spoken. Question not its wise counsel.

encountering the piss trough at Tiger stadium as a 7 year old was a defining experience of my life that I am grateful no 7 year old has to endure today. I am pretty sure I just held it every time I went there after that.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I think sometimes people have a tendency to get stuck in a mindset that anytime someone's talked about as having "high character", "compete", "good defense" etc. it automatically means there's limited offensive upside.

Allsvenskan especially seems to be completely misunderstood as a league by many. It's not that easy to put up big numbers there as a young player.

Lekkerimäki d+1 (18 year old season)
Regular season: 29GP, 3 goals, 6 assists
Playoffs: 15GP, 5 goals, 10 assists

MBN draft year (18 year old season)
Regular season: 41GP, 8 goals, 10 assists
Playoffs: 12GP, 4 goals, 6 assists

Lekkerimäki also went 15th overall and had a fantastic d+2 in the SHL and there's no denying his offensive talent.

MBN uses Lekkerimaki as a q-tip after he flosses his tooth gap with Zadina.

2-way power winger with a heavy shot vs. 1-way waterbug that is built like a middle schooler. I like our 15th better than the canucks 15th.

 

[jkutswings]

You quoted two trash sources (last word and rink) and a local source. Being two years from the NHL out of Europe would make him one of the most NHL ready prospects outside of the top 3. And I dont doubt he could get a call up in his D+2 but he’s not likely to be a full time NHLer until at least his D+3.

You're not making any sense.

1) NBC Sports Philadelphia is not a local source, and the quote in that article came from the VP of NHL Central Scouting.
2) At #15 overall, being a full time NHLer in your D+3 is ahead of the curve. You're grading this selection as if Detroit made it at #1 or #2 overall.

 

[Perfect Human]

The more I watch his games and highlights he seems like a motivated, focused version of Mantha. Like think whenever we played in Montreal at the Bell Centre he went off and was dynamic and engaged. Looks like MBN.

 

[Shaman464]

You're not making any sense.

1) NBC Sports Philadelphia is not a local source, and the quote in that article came from the VP of NHL Central Scouting.
2) At #15 overall, being a full time NHLer in your D+3 is ahead of the curve. You're grading this selection as if Detroit made it at #1 or #2 overall.

Go back and read what I said. I didn’t grade this pick. I was responding to someone saying that he’d be part of a core with Larkin. My argument is that he’s not going to be an impact player before Larkin is in his middle 30s.

To repeat my thoughts about this pick is that it’s the high floor, good character uninspired pick I expect from a forward Draper selected and that we will have to wait and see if this was a good pick or a bust.

 

[Holden Caufield]

MBN. Who would have thought ?

 

[dj4aces]

I'm happy with the pick. Nygard is a guy who fits what Stevie is trying to build here. Right now, I like what I see, and look forward to following his development. Should be fun, especially if he's also working with some Red Wings alumni in Sweden.

 

[jkutswings]

Go back and read what I said. I didn’t grade this pick. I was responding to someone saying that he’d be part of a core with Larkin. My argument is that he’s not going to be an impact player before Larkin is in his middle 30s.

Larkin turns 28 in a month. MBN should be a top six NHL forward on Detroit by the time Larkin is 31. If you have greater expectations than that, you're being unrealistic about drafting #15 overall.

To repeat my thoughts about this pick is that it’s the high floor, good character uninspired pick I expect from a forward Draper selected and that we will have to wait and see if this was a good pick or a bust.

If this pick was so uninspired, then who was available that would have been a great pick? And if this was purely a Draper selection, why were Yzerman and Lidstrom and Hakan all so excited as well?

 

[dalem177]

Mantha

 

[Henkka]

Love these names like michaelbrandseggnygård liamdowernilsson axelsandinpellikka noahdowernilsson oscar fiskermolgaard...

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

The more I watch his games and highlights he seems like a motivated, focused version of Mantha. Like think whenever we played in Montreal at the Bell Centre he went off and was dynamic and engaged. Looks like MBN.

Yeah you can gtfo with that bullshit comparison.

 

[SantosHalper]

Love these names like michaelbrandseggnygård liamdowernilsson axelsandinpellikka noahdowernilsson oscar fiskermolgaard...

Elbow to elbow names are elite, too bad this guy wasn't NHL worthy Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

 

[Shaman464]

Larkin turns 28 in a month. MBN should be a top six NHL forward on Detroit by the time Larkin is 31. If you have greater expectations than that, you're being unrealistic about drafting #15 overall.


If this pick was so uninspired, then who was available that would have been a great pick? And if this was purely a Draper selection, why were Yzerman and Lidstrom and Hakan all so excited as well?

I think 3 years is unrealistic for him to be in a top 6 role. I think it’ll be 4-5 years. Again my expectations are that I don’t have any. I am just being realistic about development of players that aren’t top 3.

As for who I would pick? Doesn’t really matter, I don’t have strong feelings about this pick currently other than it’ll be years before we know if it was a good one or not. It could be a home run it could be a bust. I don’t know.

 

[The Real Pastafarian]

encountering the piss trough at Tiger stadium as a 7 year old was a defining experience of my life that I am grateful no 7 year old has to endure today. I am pretty sure I just held it every time I went there after that.

Some say that these thousands of individual traumas are what imbued the Joe's piss trough with its prophetic wisdom and consciousness, like an ancient altar that bore witness to centuries of ritualistic sacrifices.

 

[schuelma24]

Yzerman talked a lot about his shot and ability on the power play last night. A lot.

 

[Snuggs]

encountering the piss trough at Tiger stadium as a 7 year old was a defining experience of my life that I am grateful no 7 year old has to endure today. I am pretty sure I just held it every time I went there after that.

Almost a rite of passage back then. MLB fan hazing possibly.

 

[RedHawkDown]

He won’t be in the NHL in two seasons. He will be in Grand Rapids or doing a last season in Europe. He won’t be in the NHL until very likely his D+3 or 4 year and it’ll be a couple years before he’s an impact player meaning 5-6 years. Which will put Larkin at 33-34

It sounds like you know nothing about this player. He will be on Detroit in 25-26.

 

[The Real Pastafarian]

Yeah you can gtfo with that bullshit comparison.

I think what he means (and what I also thought) was that MBN could be what we always hoped Mantha would become: An effective power-forward. Mantha without the aloof churlishness and laziness.

Which reminds me, I wonder if Elmer Soderblom is in the weight room, or working on his one-timer, right now -- because he should be. That's a guy that's going to take years to develop (if he ever does develop into an NHL level guy.) MBN is already physically and mentally mature, all he needs is work on the finer points. Sweden, with Kronwall looking over his shoulder, that's the perfect place for that.

It helps that MBN isn't extremely tall like Mantha or Soderblom -- those very tall guys always take an extra 2 years.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Larkin turns 28 in a month. MBN should be a top six NHL forward on Detroit by the time Larkin is 31. If you have greater expectations than that, you're being unrealistic about drafting #15 overall.


If this pick was so uninspired, then who was available that would have been a great pick? And if this was purely a Draper selection, why were Yzerman and Lidstrom and Hakan all so excited as well?

And for the Eiserman fans, NYI fans don’t seem too enthused with their pick.

 

[Shaman464]

It sounds like you know nothing about this player. He will be on Detroit in 25-26.

Almost certainly not full time, he might get a couple games in 25-26, but the realistic time table for him to be full time bottom 6 is 26-27 after a year in the SHL and a year mostly in the AHL.

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

Lidstrom in swedish media said they had their eyes on this player for a long time and were a bit surprised he was still there at 15th.

 

[jkutswings]

To repeat my thoughts about this pick is that it’s the high floor, good character uninspired pick I expect from a forward Draper selected

I don’t have strong feelings about this pick currently other than it’ll be years before we know if it was a good one or not. It could be a home run it could be a bust. I don’t know.

*cues Sesame Street music*

One of these things is not like the other...

 

[dj4aces]

It sounds like you know nothing about this player. He will be on Detroit in 25-26.

While I think a lot of folks are underestimating the pick, I'm not that optimistic on him either. At the earliest, I see him in NA for his D+2 season, where he could easily compete for a spot, but more than likely spend a year in GR instead.

The physical element to his game, the strong forechecking ability, and that cannon of his is much-needed... but not at the cost of development time in Sweden and/or in Grand Rapids.

 

[Shaman464]

*cues Sesame Street music*

One of these things is not like the other...

Those statements are completely consistent with each other. Reports put him as a high floor guy, there is questions about where his ceiling is and he has good character. And I don't have strong feelings about this pick and it could be anything. If he only makes his floor and is a bottom 6 NHLer his whole career that's a bust. If his ceiling turns out to be high he could be a top line forward and that's a home run. How is being agnostic and conservative about this pick so controversial? I am not saying "OMG HES A BUST" or "Yzerman needs to be fired for this pick".