Let's get a temperature check on where we stand with Nate Danielson.
His offense hasn't materialized up to this point, so if you think he's got more development runway, it may make sense to play him in Grand Rapids this upcoming season and give him heavy minutes in all situations. The hope is he becomes a point per game player, maybe hits 20-25ish goals, thereby restoring faith he can become a scoring line center.
However, you may think his calling in the NHL is as a really good defensive forward - recall Connor Bedard claiming he was the toughest opponent to go up against in the WHL - and if that's the case he could play this year in Detroit, giving us absurd depth at center while helping improve our awful PK from last season. The idea here is we focus on developing him into a Selke caliber defensive center.
So which path do you prefer: continued development in Grand Rapids, or filling a clearly defined role in Detroit?
His offense hasn't materialized up to this point, so if you think he's got more development runway, it may make sense to play him in Grand Rapids this upcoming season and give him heavy minutes in all situations. The hope is he becomes a point per game player, maybe hits 20-25ish goals, thereby restoring faith he can become a scoring line center.
However, you may think his calling in the NHL is as a really good defensive forward - recall Connor Bedard claiming he was the toughest opponent to go up against in the WHL - and if that's the case he could play this year in Detroit, giving us absurd depth at center while helping improve our awful PK from last season. The idea here is we focus on developing him into a Selke caliber defensive center.
So which path do you prefer: continued development in Grand Rapids, or filling a clearly defined role in Detroit?