2023 Draft Prospect Polls: Happy/Mad with Nate Danielson at #9?

[Vector Cereal]

If you draft those guys every year, one will end up having way more offense than you thought. It's not a bad profile to target.

I've been thinking about this more lately when it comes to prospect development; specifically, how Raymond and Zadina progressed. Zadina's major "elite" asset was his shot, but his defensive game needed so much work that in order to fit into an NHL coaching system, he had to work on his flaws a lot. Did this contribute to his shot not progressing up levels? As well, Raymond came into the draft as an "elite" puck distributor and had some criticism of his shot pre-draft as Holtz was his triggerman. Now he's worked on his shot to the point where it's pretty nice, but I wouldn't say his playmaking has made it to the elite level. When you draft a player with a glaring flaw and a finite amount of practice time to allocate toward fixing it, how much does fixing that flaw impede development of the attributes that were the reason for drafting someone? If a guy already has defensive awareness, skating, whatever, does he free up practice time to work on his shot? I love Barlow, and one main reason is he seems to work on his skills with such intention. He upgraded his release big-time this year all while picking up more PK duties. That tells me his shot probably won't suffer the same fate as Zadina's as he moves to the pro game

 

[NickH8]

Just Kasper? He's lucky if he's Kasper.

Just is the wrong wording, point is they're different players and not redundant.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

What are you going to do with a roster full of Copps?

As to the last point. It is the "surrounded by talent" part we should be drafting.


It's easy to sort Wing fans into two camps. Who did you like more, Helm or Hudler?

How is Danielson anything like Copp? He isn't the same size and doesn't play the same position and they skate nothing alike. If you have too many centers (even middle six ones) you trade them because they actually have trade value unlike your midget "skilled" wingers. I see Debrincat on the trade market but I am not seeing too many 6'1+ centers who move reasonably well. There is a lot to be said for drafting the types of players you can't get anywhere else.

As to your Helm vs. Hudler comment, smart fans with experience know that what looks like skill in juniors isn't always skill at the NHL level. There are very few Hudlers in the NHL. If you think a kid can have a similar impact, you better be f***ing right if you are taking him early and you better know exactly what made Hudler successful in the first place.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

When was the last time the Wings had too many good centers?? The cup days?

Too many good centers is a problem you want, to use a popular line of thinking in hockey, easier to move a center to wing than the other way around.

If you think this guy isnt that good, I can understand it, but it has been said a bunch on these boards, without Larkin, this team is a bottom five lottery team. Cant plan on drafting a Crosby McDavid type, so pile up on as many good Cs as you can

 

[Henkka]

Core

When was the last time the Wings had too many good centers?? The cup days?

Too many good centers is a problem you want

We kind of had great centers all the time until Draper retired at 2011. We did have even Modano on that last Draper season. 6 centers.

Datsyuk
Zetterberg
Filppula
Draper
Helm

After Draper retired, it was still Dats-Z-Flip-Helm left.

When Filppula did leave and those Legwand/Weiss stories didn't work, the wheels started to get off.

Of course, Pavel leaving is the final nail in the coffin and that 25-year playoff streak was about to end.

BTW, that 25-year playoff streak did start with Yzerman, Fedorov, Jimmy Carson, Keith Primeau and Marc Habscheid in the mix and Mike Sillinger knocking the door.

 

[Henkka]

I don't know where did my earlier post about Danielson did disappear. Did some moderator delete it because there was some short paywall The Ahtletic quotes?

But he was ranked very high on Corey Pronman's rank. 7th overall.

Nate Danielson, 6'2 RH Center.
- big
- skates well
- shot threat on PP
- runs a PP
- two-way center
- compeititive
- wins puck battles
- kills penalties

He looks like a potential high-in-the-lineup all-situations center in the NHL. Danielson would plug our hole as right-handed center in the core, which we don't have.

Also checked his Faceoff percentage from WHL, 52.6% after +1200 faceoffs, huge main load from his team.

And one curious thing from other Pronman article was, which some scout had told him. Connor Bedard has said the toughest player he has ever played against was Nate Danielson. These are things I like to hear from guys we have drafted or could potentially draft.

Player comparable for Danielson was Elias Lindholm on Pronman's report.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Flaws are a good thing. Those are things you can improve to make yourself better. If you don't have any flaws, how is Danielson going to dramatically improve?

Arbitrary could well be my middle name. It's actually Andrew, but both A's.

One prospect doesn’t prove or disprove the rule, but I will say this was a big part of the argument that Beniers skeptics put forth, and I think he’s really shown that being a competitive, well-rounded, athletic center can take you tremendously far in this league. Matty is likely one of the most valuable young players in the NHL and, beyond his plus skating, he doesn’t do a ton that will make your jaw drop.

 

[Gniwder]

Exactly. You think we're gonna luck out on a 2C projection exceeding expectations, twice? Or rather three times, since we're already banking on that for Kasper.

You better hope so, because unless the Wings win the lottery next year they're gonna pick in the same range, and you don't normally get prospects projected as #1C picking after 5th OA. (Although we may see one this draft because it's deeper than usual.)

Kids can shift from center to wing but almost never the other way around. Absolutely ridiculous to think the team has too many centers. Right now the Wings have all their eggs in the Kasper basket, with no backup plan aside from getting another Copp in free agency. It's a lot easier to get a winger in free agency or trade than a center.

I've decided not to do as much research into this draft, but I want a center at #9, maybe go for upside with the other pick. Knowing Draper, one of them will be a "tough to play against" player, and it could wind up being Danielson. Certainly fits his MO, not sure what Stevie has planned though.

 

[lilidk]

Core


We kind of had great centers all the time until Draper retired at 2011. We did have even Modano on that last Draper season. 6 centers.

Datsyuk
Zetterberg
Filppula
Draper
Helm

After Draper retired, it was still Dats-Z-Flip-Helm left.

When Filppula did leave and those Legwand/Weiss stories didn't work, the wheels started to get off.

Of course, Pavel leaving is the final nail in the coffin and that 25-year playoff streak was about to end.

BTW, that 25-year playoff streak did start with Yzerman, Fedorov, Jimmy Carson, Keith Primeau and Marc Habscheid in the mix and Mike Sillinger knocking the door.

If you compare Danielson to one of those guys it's Filppula to me, don't know if I want him with my #9 pick

 

[ZDH]

Would be a brutal use of #9. You're looking at a 3C who will give you ~15g/30a a year. That's trash at #9, I would be pissed.

Before you say "but Kasper" don't. Kasper is a God damn wrecking ball with more compete than you can shake a stick at. He is exactly the player I want as our 3C.

 

[Holden Caufield]

I don't know where did my earlier post about Danielson did disappear. Did some moderator delete it because there was some short paywall The Ahtletic quotes?

But he was ranked very high on Corey Pronman's rank. 7th overall.

Nate Danielson, 6'2 RH Center.
- big
- skates well
- shot threat on PP
- runs a PP
- two-way center
- compeititive
- wins puck battles
- kills penalties

He looks like a potential high-in-the-lineup all-situations center in the NHL. Danielson would plug our hole as right-handed center in the core, which we don't have.

Also checked his Faceoff percentage from WHL, 52.6% after +1200 faceoffs, huge main load from his team.

And one curious thing from other Pronman article was, which some scout had told him. Connor Bedard has said the toughest player he has ever played against was Nate Danielson. These are things I like to hear from guys we have drafted or could potentially draft.

Player comparable for Danielson was Elias Lindholm on Pronman's report.

Bedard was just pumping tires.
He also said Cristall was the smartest player he ever played with. And said something like Benson was most skilled/talent.

In the top 10, you go for the later two traits….

Danielson has the pedigree of a late 1st/early 2nd guy. Wouldn’t mind him with one of the 2nd’s.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Consensus on draft day morning four years ago was that if you were head over heels in love with Seider, you trade back with Vancouver to take him. Fast forward to today and those same people poke fun of Craig Button for comparing him to Brandon Carlo.

Odds are Danielson doesn't pop the way Seider did, but it is pretty wild to me that year after year people get incredulous that some teams/scouts view well-rounded prospects very highly, especially when our literal two biggest draft hits of the past decade (Larkin and Seider) fit that near exact description.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

IMO, Danielson becomes a solid #2 center.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Speaking more directly to what I actually like about the player, I'd put forward the following:

Dylan Cozens '18/19: 68 games - 34g 50a 84pts
Nate Danielson '22/23: 68 games - 33g 45a 78pts

I think both players do a lot of the same things effectively as prospects. Big, fast, productive players translate up well from what I've seen. I think Cozens was a little bit faster, a little bit rangier, and had a better goal scoring acumen. Danielson imo reads the ice a bit better than Cozens with and without the puck on his stick. All things considered I preferred Cozens slightly as a prospect, but I don't think Danielson is far off, especially picking at #9 (or in a beautiful world where other GMs fall asleep, maybe even in the teens). I also think he fits very well with the mold of team we're building, and I do think that plays a factor in effective development.

Edit: Also, that '18/19 Lethbridge team was definitely better than Danielson's Wheat Kings.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

Feel this guy is a lot closer to a Cozens/Beniers type talent than say Flip/Helm.

Dream draft we get this guy and Benson and RHD later in the second. Might need to move up somewhere for that to happen however.

Would love to get our hands on that little speed demon Sawchyn too.

 

[Realgud]

Excellent posts @Ed Ned and Leddy , very well said.

 

[Baaaaaaaaaaaaah]

Meh. I don't mind him, but would rather get him at 17. Pick 9 has to be a guy that could put a lot of pucks in the net.