Notre Dame's Sammy Nelson Blends Blends Versatility And Heart As A Top 2027 Prospect

While Notre Dame's Sammy Nelson may have had to wait an extra year to become draft eligible, but he's on a shorter professional runway than many of his fellow prospects. The Fighting Irish freshman missed the cutoff for the 2026 NHL Draft by just four days. However, that added time made Nelson into one of the more polished players within his draft class and a lot of the reason why has to do with family.

Sammy is the youngest of the three Nelson brothers, all of whom play at Notre Dame. Middle sibling Danny was selected in 2023's second round (49th overall) by the New York Islanders and is the Fighting Irish's Captain, while eldest Henry mans the blue line in South Bend. Danny spoke to NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale back in July about how growing up alongside himself and Henry forged Sammy into the player he is today.

"Henry and I definitely didn't take it easy on him (Sammy) growing up, especially in the battles we had in the basement playing knee hockey," Danny Nelson said. "I definitely think Sammy is a mix of both me and Henry, from the way that he plays to how he is off the ice."

Danny hits the nail on the head when it comes to his youngest sibling. Sammy possesses high octane speed and a wicked shot especially on the power play. These offensive gifts are not all Sammy has to offer. 

Defensively, Nelson blocks shots and was a factor on Team USA's penalty kill which I saw firsthand from the broadcast booth in his U17 season. He also isn't afraid to throw his nearly 200 pound 6 foot 2 frame around, showing a level of versatility and heart which separates him from younger players eligible come June. 

ESPN's Rachel Kryshak concurred with this assessment while discussing Nelson's forecheck early last month in her preview of top NCAA Hockey prospects.

"Nelson's two-way play is already mature for his age and will continue to evolve," Kryshak said. "The consistency of his play will keep scouting departments talking, and his offensive ceiling will be the ultimate determining factor in where he lands in an NHL lineup."

Nelson touched on his offense in that same interview Morreale, believing it to be undervalued. "I think my offensive ability to score is a little bit underrated," Nelson said. "I like to shoot the puck. I just got to hit the net and put the puck in the net."

Despite Notre Dame's early struggles, Nelson makes it clear why NHL Central Scouting recently listed him as an A Ranked Skater in their Preliminary Players To Watch List. His tenacity towards winning makes him an asset for whichever team drafts him this summer.  If the Fighting Irish turn their season around, you can bet Sammy Nelson will be one of the driving forces behind it.