NHL draft expert Tony Ferrari opens his notebook on 2024 draft eligibles Artyom Levshunov of Michigan State, Oshawa's Ben Danford and Mora's Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
NHL draft expert Tony Ferrari opens his notebook on 2024 draft eligibles Artyom Levshunov of Michigan State, Oshawa's Ben Danford and Mora's Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
This season, I want to give more insight into the process of how I track 2024 NHL draft-eligible players throughout the year.
Through numerous views, live and in person, I do my best to evaluate what I see on the ice from players, from their big flashy plays to minor details, such as board play or off-puck tracking.
Throughout the season, I maintain a “notebook” with scouting reports on players throughout the year. While I don’t write a game report for every game I watch of a player, I attempt to do so for most views I have on a player. This gives me an excellent chance to track a player's development throughout the season and note improvements in their play – or the lack thereof.
This week, we look at highly touted defenseman Artyom Levshunov of Michigan State (NCAA), steady Oshawa Generals (OHL) blueliner Ben Danford, and intriguing Norwegian forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard of Mora IK (Allsvenskan).
Artyom Levshunov, RHD, Michigan State (NCAA), 6-foot-2, 198 pounds
Oct. 27, 2023, versus Boston College - Against one of the best teams in the NCAA, Levshunov did his best to tread water. The young defender consistently attempted to activate offensively, but it often left him well out of position and giving up odd-man rushes to the opposing team due to a lack of awareness.
Early in the game, while defending a 2-on-2 rush, Levshunov conceded the middle of the ice to the attacking player with the puck. It allowed the attacker to easily split the defenders for an excellent scoring chance while Levshunov wound up on their hip with little ability to alter the shot. His consistent concession of the middle of the ice, whether while defending the rush or in-zone, led to a worrisome defensive impact throughout the game.
The big-bodied defender failed to box out in front of the net of the power play, giving a shove to acknowledge that the player was there before fading off to the side, putting himself in no man’s land between the net-front attacker and the half-wall attacker.
In the second and third periods, after the team was down by two or more goals, Levshunov constantly tried to activate from the back end. This tendency led to a number of plays in which he was the fifth man back into the defensive zone and led to a number of high-danger chances for the opposing team as he was above the faceoff circles, still retreating to his position.
Levshunov’s identification of an open lane to attack and his instincts to jump into the play offensively are usually fairly good. The issue is generally that his mobility isn’t on the level it should be for a player who attempts to pinch or fly the defensive zone to generate offense. Levshunov doesn't have the speed to get back defensively. On the penalty kill in the third period, Levshunov tried too hard to create offense despite being down a man, and on three separate occasions in one short shift, he wound up in the neutral zone and trailing the play as a defender on the penalty kill.
Levshunov was able to routinely make safe, quick zone exit passes by finding the open forward up ice or using the boards to bank the puck into the neutral zone for a teammate to skate on. Levshunov recorded an assist in the third period on a play off the faceoff. After the Spartans won the draw, Levshunov made a beeline to the back door from the back side. As he swung around the net, the puck was put to the net, and a scrum ensued. Levshunov poked at the puck in the mess, and a teammate buried it in front.
His tendency to shoot the puck in high volume was evident in this game as well, with one shot making it to the net and four being blocked. The young Spartan has a very good shot, but he needs to figure out how to change angles and get moving laterally before firing it on the net.
There were a few bright moments from Levshunov in this game, but it certainly didn't instill confidence in him being a top-10 prospect in the NHL draft class.
Ben Danford, RHD, Oshawa (OHL), Six-foot, 176 pounds
Nov. 5, 2023, versus Brantford - Danford plays a bit of a throwback game for a defenseman in this day and age, often looking to kill play defensively and quickly make a smart decision to move the puck to the safest option.
Danford had an assist in the first period of this game, collecting a pass at the blueline and moving a bit laterally toward the middle of the ice before firing the puck on net. A teammate deflected the puck in tight.
Danford’s offensive play in this game was simple and effective, keeping his feet moving and avoiding standing still by pulsating to the top of the faceoff circles and along the blueline. Danford took a few shots from the blueline but rarely took them from a standstill, looking to move laterally and open lanes or change the angle.
Defensively in this game, Danford used his reach quite well when defending in transition. He closed the gap quickly at the defensive blueline or angled the opponent to the outside. His ability to poke the poke back up the boards and then jump around the attacker to retrieve it was notable in this game.
In the zone, Danford needs to be a bit more aggressive in defending the net front. He did an excellent job of shoulder-checking constantly to stay aware of what was going on behind him. He positions himself on the net side of the puck when supporting a board battle. When engaged in a board battle in the corner or below the net, he has the strength and understanding of body positioning to pin an opponent and fish out the puck with his stick.
Danford wasn’t a dynamic passer in any way, but he showed the ability to make some smart, simple passes on the breakout. He uses the boards when he needs to pass around an opponent. Danford does tend to throw the puck down the ice for icing, something he did twice in the first 10 minutes of the game, but he generally seemed to find teammates on the breakout.
Danford isn’t a dynamic or offensively gifted player, but he plays a steady and sound defensive game. He projects to be a very good stabilizing defender on a pairing with an offensive-minded player.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (Allsvenskan/J20), 6-foot-1, 194 pounds
Nov. 4, 2023, versus Brynas IF - Brandsegg-Nygard plays an impressive pro-style game incorporating speed and skill while blending functional physicality with a high-end motor.
His pace is a major asset. The young Norwegian forward attacks off the wing with speed, looking to dash into the middle of the ice off the wall with regularity offensively.
His defensive habits throughout the game were intelligent and effective. He was routinely the first forward back in the defensive zone and often defaulted to the slot or net front until the center got back, and then Brandsegg-Nygard worked inside-out to ensure the puck stayed to the outside of the zone. He used his agility and speed to pressure and force passes sooner than the opponent would have liked, and he was quick to recover loose pucks throughout the game. In transition, Brandsegg-Nygard was effective on and off of the puck.
He consistently carried the puck out of the defensive zone with possession, using his crossovers efficiently to build speed as he worked his way up ice. He dumped the puck in when necessary but preferred to enter the zone with control of the puck. He used his teammates well through the middle of the ice, drawing opponents in before offloading the puck to a teammate and jumping into space himself to present himself as a passing option.
In the offensive zone, Brandsegg-Nygard was a nuisance as a forechecker, getting into the face of his opponents. He routinely rotated into the slot, found pockets of space and allowed the puck carrier to find him. On the puck, he was effective along the boards, using his stick and feet to win the puck and come out of a pile with it. He generated a number of shots from medium to high danger, ranging from quick hands to elevate from below the faceoff circles to one-timers from the dots. He scored a goal off the rush, unloading a wicked snap shot from high in the faceoff circle that beat the goalie clean.
It was his first Allsvenskan goal of the season. He had an assist off the rush as well. Collecting the puck on the zone exit, Brandsegg-Nygard broke up ice to create a 2-on-1 rush. As soon as the defender made the decision to close on him, Brandsegg-Nygard feathered a soft saucer pass over the defender's stick to a streaking teammate who made a beautiful move in tight. His two points came late in the third period, solidifying the win for his team.
He wasn’t perfect in this game. He got chasing a bit defensively at times, and it led to a couple of long shifts. He passed on some passing options at times to try and attack a defender 1-on-1.
There aren’t many players in this draft class who blend the pro habits and intellect of a pro player with the puck skill and offensive instincts the way that Brandsegg-Nygard does.