Prospect Info: 9OA: Nate Danielson

[Hen Kolland]

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.

Everyone's favorite prospect guy, Pronman, did have Danielson initially compared to Dylan Cozens before switching to Elias Lindholm.

I still see the prospect that was Joel Eriksson Ek in terms of profile, who has developed nicely. He's hovering around a mid-50s point pace over the past 3 years, including being a consistent mid-20s goal guy. While being one of, if not the best primary PK options for Minnesota.

Playmaking also depends a lot on the connection with teammates. It's what made Hank and Pavel so good together. If you get Danielson some linemates that think the game remotely well enough to get to the right spots, you probably see a noteworthy improvement to his pass conversion rates and assist totals.

You factor in those names with the different skill sets they bring and take little bits and pieces here and there and you end up with a prototypical second line center.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

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.

David Deharnais?

 

[RabidBadger]

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.

That's what I thought watching footage of him. He can generate offense on skating alone but doesn't seem to have the "slick" quotient in his game. On the other hand, he seems to have pretty good vision and I have to wonder if his assist totals might get buoyed by having linemates that are actually alive?

Edit: I was typing before Hen's response was posted....not being a parrot here. Great point @Hen Kolland !

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

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.

There's been 1000s of posts about draft prospects on this forum in the last months, and this was my 2nd post about the subject. If you think it's a waste of time to analyze prospects and draft choices then this is an odd forum to hang out on, and it's odd to comment on it with regard to my post specifically.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

There's been 1000s of posts about draft prospects on this forum in the last months, and this was my 2nd post about the subject. If you think it's a waste of time to analyze prospects and draft choices then this is an odd forum to hang out on, and it's odd to comment on it with regard to my post specifically.

It's weird beacuse regardless of the ample evidence that exists that you simply don't know with prospects... everyone and their mother jumps to say "THIS GUY IS LIMITED TO THIS!" or "THIS PROSPECT IS DEFINITIELY STRONGER THAN THAT PROSPECT AND I'M ANGRY!" A guy who absolutely rips up juniors (Mantha or Zadina) may not have the room or the drive to dominate when he comes to the league. A guy with questionable offensive chops as a young kid playing against men (Seider) might have a more well-rounded offensive game than you think.

This is where many of the people who aren't taking definitive "God I hate this draft" stances are coming from. It's just very weird to canonize or write off players based on what they have done in a couple month stretch.

 

[FabricDetails]

I'm only here to ask if anyone has started the Daniel-san jokes (Karate Kid). Hope LCA plays "You're the best around" whenever he scores.

 

[HisNoodliness]

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.

Honestly, I view him as a better passer than a shooter. By my eye, his shot is hard and he can snipe from distance, but he puts it wide or in the goalie's chest protector a lot.

For passing I think he's actually pretty good at hitting teammates in dangerous spots. He's not creative per se, but if you rush the net in coverage, Danielson is pretty good at putting the puck on your stick. the rest of his passes are admittedly usually just short, safe, keep possession and cycle style passes. I think this is where I personally see him as having higher upside than people give him credit for in the public sphere. If he had teammates that could bury the puck, a lot more of his passes could have been assists.

The other place where I think he has untapped offensive upside is as a pigeon. He plays a slightly more mobile game in the offensive zone and thus doesn't end up set up in front of the goalie a lot. If he focuses on just crashing the net a bit more instead of supporting the cycle, I think he can get more dirty goals.

I didn't watch a ton of junior hockey this year though so grain of salt and all that.

 

[norrisnick]

It's weird beacuse regardless of the ample evidence that exists that you simply don't know with prospects... everyone and their mother jumps to say "THIS GUY IS LIMITED TO THIS!" or "THIS PROSPECT IS DEFINITIELY STRONGER THAN THAT PROSPECT AND I'M ANGRY!" A guy who absolutely rips up juniors (Mantha or Zadina) may not have the room or the drive to dominate when he comes to the league. A guy with questionable offensive chops as a young kid playing against men (Seider) might have a more well-rounded offensive game than you think.

This is where many of the people who aren't taking definitive "God I hate this draft" stances are coming from. It's just very weird to canonize or write off players based on what they have done in a couple month stretch.

I love this example. Because that's Dalibor Dvorsky.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

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.

Also... while you are right Canadian juniors is heavily scouted... Isn't it possible that you'll potentially miss some of his potential because he's playing wtih Larry, Moe, and Curly and passing/getting puck with speed/etc, is more difficult to see?

These same draft guys continually graded players like Dylan McIlrath or Cam Barker ultra high in the draft as well.

And shit, most of how everyone was grading a guy like Cholowski or Raymond as they were coming out included a prognostication about how they'd play adding 20 pounds in the case of Raymond or 100 pounds in the case of Cholowski. What these players are today as prospects are not even what they are as prospects a year or two or three from now. Raymond should have 80 point potential because he will get bigger and sturdier.

 

[NickH8]

Also... while you are right Canadian juniors is heavily scouted... Isn't it possible that you'll potentially miss some of his potential because he's playing wtih Larry, Moe, and Curly and passing/getting puck with speed/etc, is more difficult to see?

These same draft guys continually graded players like Dylan McIlrath or Cam Barker ultra high in the draft as well.

And shit, most of how everyone was grading a guy like Cholowski or Raymond as they were coming out included a prognostication about how they'd play adding 20 pounds in the case of Raymond or 100 pounds in the case of Cholowski. What these players are today as prospects are not even what they are as prospects a year or two or three from now. Raymond should have 80 point potential because he will get bigger and sturdier.

Larry Moe and Curly has me cracking up lol

 

[Ezekial]

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.

That was backed up with his personality last night too. Doesn't seem like any person or moment will affect him.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

That was backed up with his personality last night too. Doesn't seem like any person or moment will affect him.

Oh shit, he's a hockey automaton like David Perron? David Perron doesn't even have a favorite food. His favorite food is hockey. He was built to be a solid veteran NHL player.

 

[NickH8]

Oh shit, he's a hockey automaton like David Perron? David Perron doesn't even have a favorite food. His favorite food is hockey. He was built to be a solid veteran NHL player.

Did you watch his interview. He said "lots of emotions going through my head right now" while sounding like a text to speech bot.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Did you watch his interview. He said "lots of emotions going through my head right now" while sounding like a text to speech bot.

ChatGPT, please create a hockey coach's example of a hockey player.

 

[AD1066]

I'm a little worried that management is so committed to a specific player archetype that they're leaving skill on the table. Really wanted Benson. Hope Danielson makes me eat crow.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Honestly, it's really a pick that's like a middling tuna salad sandwich. It's not bad, but it's also just kinda 'meh' and nothing to write home about.

But for a second, think about picking a guy who is described widely as topping out as a #2 center in the top 10 when you don't even have a real #1 center. It's like they're preparing for a future as a playoff bubble team.

The first step to finding a number one center is to draft centers.

 

[RabidBadger]

Did you watch his interview. He said "lots of emotions going through my head right now" while sounding like a text to speech bot.

I was thinking maybe he hit the sizzurp to calm the nerves pre-draft.

 

[tfong]

And Rasmussen is rounding out into a pretty decent NHL player. Feels like a weird flex to compare that.

Ras was a terrible pick then considering all the players on the board still. If you can find my original comment on that pick, options of Necas, Suzuki, Thomas and Yamamoto were my preferences.

I don't mind the pick, I understand it. But lets not pretend that Ras was a good pick.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Also... while you are right Canadian juniors is heavily scouted... Isn't it possible that you'll potentially miss some of his potential because he's playing wtih Larry, Moe, and Curly and passing/getting puck with speed/etc, is more difficult to see?

These same draft guys continually graded players like Dylan McIlrath or Cam Barker ultra high in the draft as well.

And shit, most of how everyone was grading a guy like Cholowski or Raymond as they were coming out included a prognostication about how they'd play adding 20 pounds in the case of Raymond or 100 pounds in the case of Cholowski. What these players are today as prospects are not even what they are as prospects a year or two or three from now. Raymond should have 80 point potential because he will get bigger and sturdier.

No-one's saying this guy will definitely be a bad pick. No-one can ever say that - or the opposite - about any pick. Obviously there's a lot of range for all of these guys' outcomes. The analysis is always within the context of our current knowledge about the players. After all, the teams need to make a decision on which prospects they believe in as well. It's part of the game.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

No-one's saying this guy will definitely be a bad pick. No-one can ever say that - or the opposite - about any pick. Obviously there's a lot of range for all of these guys' outcomes. The analysis is always within the context of our current knowledge about the players. After all, the teams need to make a decision on which prospects they believe in as well. It's part of the game.

Right. And that's what people like Ricelund and I are saying. We don't know shit... so we shouldn't be spouting things like "Only a 3C or doesn't have a ceiling above 2C. There is a huge difference between "I think this about a guy" and raging "He's so super limited and I'm mad". Benson was on a much better team. Danielson was on a much worse team. Both of these things are true and can 100% color your opinion on a player's ability and future prospects.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

I’m just happy i can transfer all my love for zadina into danielson

As for comparables. Lindholm is fine. I see a better defensive Matt Duchene personally. Both great skaters, rush offense. Slick hands. Probably equal play making to goal scoring depending on what kind of linemates they are with.

 

[Fyodorov]

silver lining: I feel much better about this pick (and ASP) after everything that transpired today

 

[ShanahanMan]

I'm a little worried that management is so committed to a specific player archetype that they're leaving skill on the table. Really wanted Benson. Hope Danielson makes me eat crow.

Yes, I felt that way after watching SY get interviewed about the pick.

“He’s a big strong, two way center”.

Literally the same thing he said after Kasper.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

Yes, I felt that way after watching SY get interviewed about the pick.

“He’s a big strong, two way center”.

Literally the same thing he said after Kasper.

The videos I watched of him, the way he skates, splits defenders, and shoots in close reminds me of Mike Modano. I think he has untapped offensive potential.

His stickhandling and skating is quite a bit better than Kasper's.

I could see him getting NHL games in two years.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

The videos I watched of him, the way he skates, splits defenders, and shoots in close reminds me of Mike Modano. I think he has untapped offensive potential.

His stickhandling and skating is quite a bit better than Kasper's.

I could see him getting NHL games in two years.

I like the modano comparison