Prospect Info: 15th Overall, Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard

[RED WINGS STOMP]

Well, out of the 14 spots that passed on MBN, how many took a winger? A lot of C and D went ahead of MBN. We took a top 3 winger, IMO.

For all of those who loved Benson last year, MBN isn't all that different. Maybe not as creative offensively, but a better shot and more physical.

 

[RedHawkDown]

Evidence is that 14 teams passed on him and in a weakish draft like this one teams aren’t passing on a high floor top 6 power forward that will be playing at a high level in 2-3 years. I’m not saying he won’t get there but I’m saying he’s further away than some think.

This is a pretty stupid justification for something. Teams pass on guys all the time and are wrong every single year. He went where he was ranked to go.

Dawson Mercer was drafted 18th and made the NHL in his D+2. You should call up the devils and let them know Mercer is still a year from his D+5 when he’s allowed to be an impact player, and should be in the AHL.

 

[Shaman464]

This is a pretty stupid justification for something. Teams pass on guys all the time and are wrong every single year. He went where he was ranked to go.

Dawson Mercer was drafted 18th and made the NHL in his D+2. You should call up the devils and let them know Mercer is still a year from his D+5 when he’s allowed to be an impact player, and should be in the AHL.

33 points and -26. He benefited a lot from oddly overachieving Devils teams but this season he was a dumpster fire. Also he as is a CHL draftee and has the CHL or NHL problem. For every overachieving mid first round pick you can name there are more that underachieve. On the Red Wings we have Ras.

 

[norrisnick]

Evidence is that 14 teams passed on him and in a weakish draft like this one teams aren’t passing on a high floor top 6 power forward that will be playing at a high level in 2-3 years. I’m not saying he won’t get there but I’m saying he’s further away than some think.

14 teams passed on everyone that was available to us. Thereby none of them were worthy of being drafted. Got it...

 

[lidstromiscool]

Well, out of the 14 spots that passed on MBN, how many took a winger? A lot of C and D went ahead of MBN. We took a top 3 winger, IMO.

For all of those who loved Benson last year, MBN isn't all that different. Maybe not as creative offensively, but a better shot and more physical.

MBN and Benson couldn't be farther apart as prospects

 

[Winged Wheel Willy]

Some of the assesments in here really have me scratching my head. "We needed someone who can score"...didnt our team just finish high in scoring even without a complete top6? This kid can score BTW! I've really come around on him cuz I think he brings everything to the top6 that I've been clamoring for during the season - and what Moose doesnt do. He has the skating and physicality to forecheck. He doesnt need to razzle dazzle us. Just win battles in the corners and create space for Cap, Ray and Cat and have his stick ready to fire. Plus, he plays inside hockey and is not some perimeter p***y like for example Marner who doesnt bring it in the playoffs. This kid will play through traffic.

If this turns out to be Lawson Crouse on roids, then it is wonderful. I see a 25/35 guy. That is not a middle 6 guy to sneeze at, but a legit top6 PF. And the fact that his game is close to the pros is good as well.

 

[Pavels Dog]

MBN and Benson couldn't be farther apart as prospects

So if one was a goalie they wouldn't be farther apart? Interesting.

 

[Hobnobs]

My favorite part of when we drafted him was the clueless sportsnet guys talking about how "allsvenskan is the best palce for him" and how "he wouldn't get the minutes in SHL". He's going to play in the SHL for Skellefteå. So it's was a weird statement to make..

Next year gonna be a real good test to see how good this guy is gonna be.

 

[jkutswings]

My favorite part of when we drafted him was the clueless sportsnet guys talking about how "allsvenskan is the best place for him" and how "he wouldn't get the minutes in SHL". He's going to play in the SHL for Skellefteå. So it's was a weird statement to make..

Next year gonna be a real good test to see how good this guy is gonna be.

In general the ESPN crew prefers to be constantly making noise with their mouths, rather than focus on how intelligent those statements are.

But yes, I also look forward to the development of a player with this type of a skill set. I had been beating the drum to trade this pick altogether in a package for an NHL player, but if they were going to keep it and select somebody at 15, so far I like what I hear about MBN.

 

[Hobnobs]

In general the ESPN crew prefers to be constantly making noise with their mouths, rather than focus on how intelligent those statements are.

But yes, I also look forward to the development of a player with this type of a skill set. I had been beating the drum to trade this pick altogether in a package for an NHL player, but if they were going to keep it and select somebody at 15, so far I like what I hear about MBN.

I live decently close to Mora so Ive seen this kid a bit and I like him. I see him mostly as a elite middle-6 C/decent top-6 winger kind of guy.

 

[Crunchy]

This is the kind of guy who, if he was in Canadian juniors, would have a far higher reputation and perceived upside due to the number of points he'd put up. He'd be physically dominant.

We've desperately needed a scoring power forward and we got one. This guy has been at the top of my list since the end of the 2023 draft. Love this pick.

 

[newfy]

This is the kind of guy who, if he was in Canadian juniors, would have a far higher reputation and perceived upside due to the number of points he'd put up. He'd be physically dominant.

We've desperately needed a scoring power forward and we got one. This guy has been at the top of my list since the end of the 2023 draft. Love this pick.

If he was playing in the OHL the wings wouldnt have got a shot at him probably, youre right. He woulda scored 40 goals and had 100 pims with his play style.

I think people who want some big high upside swings have it all wrong anyways. The wings at this point arent going to hit a high upside swing so they need to build a team that is going to wear you down with skill and physicality. The 2nd best power forward in the draft fell into their lap this year, it makes a tonne of sense for them to draft him

 

[Crunchy]

Not an exciting pick, partly because about 80% of mock drafts picked it, for the 3rd year in a row, but a pretty sensible one, given positional need, quality of shot and ability to monitor and impact develpement.

Seens like the MO is solid, low risk, high compete every dayers with upside as the early draft core and then try to find variety from that with later picks and trades. Sooner or later the MO has to change, but I think we've learned this year that we are still very much building out the future core.

Mad that in Yzerman's first draft he nailed it going completely left field, and since then has pretty much been predicted by every mock draft going

Agree that the fact MBN was widely mocked took away from fan/media excitement. And yes Yzerman and the wings certainly have a type, but I don't agree that Yzerman/Draper have been predictable since Seider:

2020: Perfetti was the widely expected choice for the Wings, they took Raymond
2021: Edvinsson was fairly predictable once he fell to 6, most projections had him going earlier. Later in the round the trade up for Cossa was a stunner.
2022: Everyone knew this was Kasper if he was there
2023: Wide open draft, not aware of any perceived favorites at 9 and don't think anyone here thought ASP at 17 until right before the pick.
2024: Widely predicted

 

[Tatar Shots]

If he was playing in the OHL the wings wouldnt have got a shot at him probably, youre right. He woulda scored 40 goals and had 100 pims with his play style.

I think people who want some big high upside swings have it all wrong anyways. The wings at this point arent going to hit a high upside swing so they need to build a team that is going to wear you down with skill and physicality. The 2nd best power forward in the draft fell into their lap this year, it makes a tonne of sense for them to draft him

As someone who was lower on Iginla than everyone else, I really don't see what he does that MBN does not.

 

[Frk It]

If he was playing in the OHL the wings wouldnt have got a shot at him probably, youre right. He woulda scored 40 goals and had 100 pims with his play style.

I think people who want some big high upside swings have it all wrong anyways. The wings at this point arent going to hit a high upside swing so they need to build a team that is going to wear you down with skill and physicality. The 2nd best power forward in the draft fell into their lap this year, it makes a tonne of sense for them to draft him

I could see him having a draft season very similar to Barlow if he was in the CHL.

 

[Our Lady Peace]

As someone who was lower on Iginla than everyone else, I really don't see what he does that MBN does not.

He does have better hands in open and tight space with receiving and handling the puck. Also I'd say he has a more explosive first-step and quicker feet, which makes him a bigger overall scoring threat IMO

If MBN works on his puck reception/stick handling and gains some of that explosive acceleration... Look out

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Also

Can we just nickname him THOR already? The Norse God will be laying the hammer down on the forecheck and obliterating water bottles with booming shots

 

[Euro Twins]

ironically I haven't really been paying a ton of attention this year and a post by you saying you hope he can be a 50 point guy is actually one of the reasons I view him as low upside

when a prospects biggest booster is saying things like that that's not a good sign

also as a general comment "physicality" doesn't really move the needle much for me especially in a forward and when most of a players scouting reports keep mentioning that as a primary focus that sends up a lot of alarm bells for me about a players upside

So you're saying Ryan orielly would be a low upside pick? Because that's kind of how I see him panning out

 

[norrisnick]

So you're saying Ryan orielly would be a low upside pick? Because that's kind of how I see him panning out

ROR was a 2nd rounder.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Greentree is such a dummy for producing a shit ton of points in the CHL. Should’ve taken a vacation in Finland scored like three goals and everyone could’ve speculated how much he would’ve produced if he played juniors.

 

[Shaman464]

This is the kind of guy who, if he was in Canadian juniors, would have a far higher reputation and perceived upside due to the number of points he'd put up. He'd be physically dominant.

We've desperately needed a scoring power forward and we got one. This guy has been at the top of my list since the end of the 2023 draft. Love this pick.

You mean like Ras.

 

[Tatar Shots]

He does have better hands in open and tight space with receiving and handling the puck. Also I'd say he has a more explosive first-step and quicker feet, which makes him a bigger overall scoring threat IMO

If MBN works on his puck reception/stick handling and gains some of that explosive acceleration... Look out

Funny enough, my favorite goal of his this year was against Slovakia(?) at the WJC where he caught a pass with his skate and then an immediate rifle into the net on the PP

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I could see him having a draft season very similar to Barlow if he was in the CHL.

Statistically? Probably. I think MBN is a much better all around player.

 

[Euro Twins]

ROR was a 2nd rounder.

So was Kuch.... What's your point?

Do you think ror was not one of the best players drafted in 09?

Everyone seems to believe around here that every player we don't pick at 15 is going to magically be some superstar 80+ point player. Yet every year those players don't end up panning out

 

[norrisnick]

So was Kuch.... What's your point?

Do you think ror was not one of the best players drafted in 09?

Everyone seems to believe around here that every player we don't pick at 15 is going to magically be some superstar 80+ point player. Yet every year those players don't end up panning out

The draft perception of ROR does not match what he ended up as. As is evident by his draft position. MBN was drafted 2 days ago. Who knows how his career shakes out relative to his draft position?