Prospect Info: 9OA: Nate Danielson

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Here is an EP Rinkside article on Danielson.
Film Room: Nate Danielson brings both certainty and upside - EP Rinkside

I think this Danielson will play a good deal of wing with Detroit. His skill set, speed and shot will be great assets moving the puck quickly up the wall into the offensive zone.

Can you show your work?

Chicagos cup teams did not have a top 6 C as 3C. Neither did LA. not Colorado last year. You could argue Vegas did this year. Tampa definitely didn’t.

Yanni Gourde is most definitely a top 6 center.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

From the EP Rinkside that dissects his play.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Where does he play this coming season? More WHL?

 

[norrisnick]

Where does he play this coming season? More WHL?

Unless we ship him to Sweden, that's pretty much the only option.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Seider was widely described as a second pairing defensive defenseman...

Zadina was widely described as a first line sniper...

Lafreniere was widely described as a franchise winger...

There are countless similar examples. No one knows what these guys will look like in a few years.

I'm not even going to address the Zadina/Lafreniere thing because it's stating the obvious - that no-one can tell the future outcomes of these picks with any certainty including NHL scouts and GMs.

But honestly I don't see the comparison at all to the Seider pick. I loved the Seider pick would have taken him even higher. Seider is a guy who flew a tiny bit under the radar because most North Americans fans and observers pay like zero attention to German hockey so the wider hockey public knew nothing about him and many scouts likely underrated him a bit. In spite of that the Wings picked him at 6th overall, so it's not like this was a late round steal that everyone was sleeping on.

Danielson meanwhile plays in what might be the world's most scouted junior league. You can't really be any more under the microscope than in the WHL. That means like a 100 guys have looked at him in detail over an extended period of time, and when the consensus says "upside is a #2 center" is that means that they cannot under any circumstances foresee a scenario where this guy becomes more than a highly competent, okay NHL player i.e. they just don't see any chance this guy could be a top 10 scorer or an All-Star. Could they be wrong? Obviously. Are they more likely to be right? Absolutely.

Obviously there's nothing wrong with highly competent NHL players. You need them to win in the league. But they're also players that are much more easily acquired via free agency and trades than stars and elite performers.

Naturally, there's a chance that Yzerman and Co. simply didn't see anyone else they rated as a likely high-end success available at #9 and figured it's better to have a #2 center than a likely bust. And that'd be a fair decision-making process. But it would just put the focus even more on the meal they made of the 2022/23 season.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

hopefully he gets traded from Brandon to a contender

 

[Hoog]

2023 NHL DRAFT CLASS - NATE DANIELSON | Calgary Flames

Smooth-skating centre models game after Elias Lindholm, Nick Suzuki

www.nhl.com

Not sure if anyone posted this from a Calgary site but pretty good article. Also, just saw he had 13 PP goals last year and a 53% faceoff percentage. Both things we need.

 

[NickH8]

Where does he play this coming season? More WHL?

Yes and I think that's fine. Let him dominate that league and find his offensive game. Hopefully he gets better teammates as well. Then year two he can compete for a roster spot. If he doesn't make it year 2 the Europe option looks enticing.

 

[Ricelund]

I'm not even going to address the Zadina/Lafreniere thing because it's stating the obvious - that no-one can tell the future outcomes of these picks with any certainty including NHL scouts and GMs.

But honestly I don't see the comparison at all to the Seider pick. I loved the Seider pick would have taken him even higher. Seider is a guy who flew a tiny bit under the radar because most North Americans fans and observers pay like zero attention to German hockey so the wider hockey public knew nothing about him and many scouts likely underrated him a bit. In spite of that the Wings picked him at 6th overall, so it's not like this was a late round steal that everyone was sleeping on.

Danielson meanwhile plays in what might be the world's most scouted junior league. You can't really be any more under the microscope than in the WHL. That means like a 100 guys have looked at him in detail over an extended period of time, and when the consensus says "upside is a #2 center" is that means that they cannot under any circumstances foresee a scenario where this guy becomes more than a highly competent, okay NHL player i.e. they just don't see any chance this guy could be a top 10 scorer or an All-Star. Could they be wrong? Obviously. Are they more likely to be right? Absolutely.

Obviously there's nothing wrong with highly competent NHL players. You need them to win in the league. But they're also players that are much more easily acquired via free agency and trades than stars and elite performers.

Naturally, there's a chance that Yzerman and Co. simply didn't see anyone else they rated as a likely high-end success available at #9 and figured it's better to have a #2 center than a likely bust. And that'd be a fair decision-making process. But it would just put the focus even more on the meal they made of the 2022/23 season.

That's a lot of words to say what I said in my previous post:

No one knows what these guys will look like in a few years.

 

[RabidBadger]

You can see a lot of the rush offense I was talking about in the second video.

Fo' real. I like the immediate acceleration you see the second the puck hits his stick.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

hopefully he gets traded from Brandon to a contender

This would be most beneficial for his development. If he can go to Winnipeg to play with Benson since Savoie and Geekie are likely gone that’s a huge boost for both players.

Also for the, “It should have been Dvorsky” crowd, Hakan is one of the best Swedish scouts in the world and then there’s Lidstrom and Kronwall over there. If those guys didn’t like him as much as Danielson then I think that says a lot.

 

[norrisnick]

I do really like that he's a righty. If he becomes a solid middle 6 guy who can be our face-off horse, that will help. Still not the way I'd use #9, but it is what it is at this point.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

This would be most beneficial for his development. If he can go to Winnipeg to play with Benson since Savoie and Geekie are likely gone that’s a huge boost for both players.

Also for the, “It should have been Dvorsky” crowd, Hakan is one of the best Swedish scouts in the world and then there’s Lidstrom and Kronwall over there. If those guys didn’t like him as much as Danielson then I think that says a lot.

Benson and Danielson would dominate. I’ll need to look into what good options would be for him to go to.

Dvorsky is fools gold to me.

 

[Indrid Cold]

I'm not even going to address the Zadina/Lafreniere thing because it's stating the obvious - that no-one can tell the future outcomes of these picks with any certainty including NHL scouts and GMs.

But honestly I don't see the comparison at all to the Seider pick. I loved the Seider pick would have taken him even higher. Seider is a guy who flew a tiny bit under the radar because most North Americans fans and observers pay like zero attention to German hockey so the wider hockey public knew nothing about him and many scouts likely underrated him a bit. In spite of that the Wings picked him at 6th overall, so it's not like this was a late round steal that everyone was sleeping on.

Danielson meanwhile plays in what might be the world's most scouted junior league. You can't really be any more under the microscope than in the WHL. That means like a 100 guys have looked at him in detail over an extended period of time, and when the consensus says "upside is a #2 center" is that means that they cannot under any circumstances foresee a scenario where this guy becomes more than a highly competent, okay NHL player i.e. they just don't see any chance this guy could be a top 10 scorer or an All-Star. Could they be wrong? Obviously. Are they more likely to be right? Absolutely.

Obviously there's nothing wrong with highly competent NHL players. You need them to win in the league. But they're also players that are much more easily acquired via free agency and trades than stars and elite performers.

Naturally, there's a chance that Yzerman and Co. simply didn't see anyone else they rated as a likely high-end success available at #9 and figured it's better to have a #2 center than a likely bust. And that'd be a fair decision-making process. But it would just put the focus even more on the meal they made of the 2022/23 season.

I think Yzerman is looking for players on the mold of a Bergeron. When the league is trending towards offensive only players up front, the Wings will be the team that can counter them.

 

[lomekian]

A hard player to evaluate beyond his obvious traits (pace, relentlessness and 200 ft game) because his team were SO poor. Mostly undrafted 20 & 21 year olds who had their best ever seasons while still having the kind of points totals that wouldn't see them drafted in the early rounds if they were 18. None could keep up with his skating, and so much of his offence was self-generated.

Obviously someone like Benson has more skill and sexy PPG, but his linemates meant he worked far less hard for his points.

Question is, can Danielson thrive with quality linemates and grow his impact accordingly, or is he better having the be the hero and DIY the team's offence. Hard to tell, but he certainly seems a strong NHL certainty floor but with ???? for his ceiling. Probably will end up a bit like Peak Rasmussen, in that there will be a handful of others we could have taken that we'll probably prefer in the fullness of time, but simultaneously he'll be an effective and important part of the team whose draft position isn't a disaster.

 

[Hoog]

Every time I watch highlights of this kid, I just can't get over how smooth and in control he is in every situation. He just has that calmness that great players have in all sports. His excelleration through the middle is like a knife thru butter. This kid is legit and he strives to get better. Man, I love this pick!

For the record, I voted sad originally but went back and watched tape, then declared my mistake and had him as one of the guys I wanted at 9. I think he is our 2C of the future and Marco......Polo......ends up as the 3C or at wing.

 

[norrisnick]

This would be most beneficial for his development. If he can go to Winnipeg to play with Benson since Savoie and Geekie are likely gone that’s a huge boost for both players.

Also for the, “It should have been Dvorsky” crowd, Hakan is one of the best Swedish scouts in the world and then there’s Lidstrom and Kronwall over there. If those guys didn’t like him as much as Danielson then I think that says a lot.

Yzerman stated that Draper is the tie-breaker between scouts. Is what it is. Maybe we can flip the Blues Perron back for DD at some point.

 

[Hoog]

I think we had a Bedard neutralizer in Kasper. I don’t get why so many people here seem to slap Kasper as our 3C like that’s his upside.

In my post-Benson world moving forward, Danielson on Kasper’s wing or vice versa would make for a good line.

I think a Kasper/Danielson/Mazur line would enfuriate other teams. Man, that sounds fun!

 

[Run the Jewels]

I'm cool with Daniëlssøn. I like his height, his right-handedness, and his compete level. I do wonder what his ceiling is on offense, but it looks like we are gonna go the St Louis route to compete for a Stanley Cup. It isn't going to be pretty, but when you get screwed over and over again with the draft lottery, you do what you have to. If we have to Bad Boys our way to a title well then LFG.

Dylan Larkin can bring back those 60 minutes of hell t-shirts, only this time they will not be wearing them ironically.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I'm cool with Daniëlssøn. I like his height, his right-handedness, and his compete level. I do wonder what his ceiling is on offense, but it looks like we are gonna go the St Louis route to compete for a Stanley Cup. It isn't going to be pretty, but when you get screwed over and over again with the draft lottery, you do what you have to. If we have to Bad Boys our way to a title well then LFG.

Dylan Larkin can bring back those 60 minutes of hell t-shirts, only this time they will not be wearing them ironically.

I’m of the belief that his shot, acceleration and ability to hold onto the puck at speed could make Danielsson a 25-30 goal guy in the league. I don’t think his playmaking is anything special. If he can make better decisions when carrying the puck into the offensive zone I think 35-45 assists is a real possibility.

I’d say, similar to Kasper, peak offensive output in the 50 to 70 point range. Unlikely to be a top 20 scorer in the league but still very good.

 

[norrisnick]

I’m of the belief that his shot, acceleration and ability to hold onto the puck at speed could make Danielsson a 25-30 goal guy in the league. I don’t think his playmaking is anything special. If he can make better decisions when carrying the puck into the offensive zone I think 35-45 assists is a real possibility.

I’d say, similar to Kasper, peak offensive output in the 50 to 70 point range. Unlikely to be a top 20 scorer in the league but still very good.

We're hoping Danielson tracks like a Kesler.

 

[NickH8]

I’m of the belief that his shot, acceleration and ability to hold onto the puck at speed could make Danielsson a 25-30 goal guy in the league. I don’t think his playmaking is anything special. If he can make better decisions when carrying the puck into the offensive zone I think 35-45 assists is a real possibility.

I’d say, similar to Kasper, peak offensive output in the 50 to 70 point range. Unlikely to be a top 20 scorer in the league but still very good.

This is where I'm at in projecting his offensive output. I think his feet and defensive play get him a decent amount of assists despite his lack of elite playmaking. Sort of like a dman who collects assist from making the first pass to start a rush, but with Danielson it'll be making a quick and simple second pass or creating rebounds with his shot.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Yzerman stated that Draper is the tie-breaker between scouts. Is what it is. Maybe we can flip the Blues Perron back for DD at some point.

My one and only concern is this was not a Hakan pick. Our European scouting is excellent while I am not yet convinced our North American scouting is great. I would be interested in knowing Hakan's feelings WRT to Danielson vs Dvorsky.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

If Danielson becomes Suzuki, Cozens or Lindholm all of which he is compared too, no one will complain. I like that he is a great skater. I hope he becomes a star but IMO there were better players on the board.

 

[dalem177]

Daniel-San

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