Red Wings Development Camp Prospect Notebook

Observations from a week at Detroit's development camp from headliners like Nate Danielson to prospect long-shots like Hunter Johannes

The 2024 iteration of Red Wings development camp is in the books, and here are a few notes on the proceedings from the week that was.  Of course the obvious caveat applies: this is a week-long sample Detroit believes to be educational not evaluative, and the judgments that follow needn't be career making or breaking.  After all, the most game-like portion of the camp is still a summer three-on-three tournament.  However, it's hockey in July, which is worth celebrating and hopefully worth drawing some conclusions from, so let's give it a shot:

As the ninth overall pick at last year's draft, Danielson arrived at this year's dev camp as the obvious headliner, and it's a billing he lived up to all week.

"Tremendous season," assessed assistant director of player Dan Cleary.  "Tested probably number one, so when you have all those components in play—Nate's a driven, serious kid.  We talked about this last year, but he's starting to come out of his shell.  He works hard.  He looks good.  Not much to say."

Danielson's squad was bounced in the semifinals of the week's culminating three-on-three tournament, but it wasn't for lack of effort on his part.  Watching him play, you got the sense that if he wanted the puck to remain on his tape for the entire game, he could have made it so.  In short, it was exactly the sort of camp you'd hope for from Danielson, one in which he looked head and shoulders above the competition.  That should be a nice spring board into training camp, where he will compete for an NHL roster spot to begin the year.

The week got off to an unfortunate for Detroit's most recent first round pick (15th overall) when equipment issues meant that for the first two days of camp, Brandsegg-Nygard couldn't seem to stop stumbling.  For Cleary, it became an opportunity to reinforce the fact that the purpose of camp from the perspective of the Red Wings staff is not judgment.

"I was talking to Nygard," Cleary said.  "He's having trouble with his skates, falling down, and listen, I'm not here judging that, whether you can stand up or not.  We've seen your body of work, and [assistant GM Kris Draper] has looked at him all year with our scouting staff."

In the three-on-three tournament, the attributes ascribed to Brandsegg-Nygard in pre-draft conversation began to come out.  He was hard on the puck, and his shot looked dangerous (particularly on a beautiful snipe from close range).  Even in the context of a three-on-three game in the summer, I liked the instinct Brandsegg-Nygard showed to drive toward the net with the puck on his stick.

He will spend at least another season in Europe before coming over, but camp affirmed what already seemed clear at the draft: Brandsegg-Nygard should be an excellent fit in Detroit when his time comes.

It was something of a quiet week for Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Detroit's other 2023 first round pick along with Danielson.  His skating remains excellent, and he shows a forward's proficiency with the puck on his stick as a D man.  Cleary noted that the Red Wings like the developmental opportunity Sandin-Pellikka will find next season with Skellefteå AIK, specifically the chance to play a lot of minutes in a prominent role.

For me, the big question with Sandin-Pellikka is whether he can be a consistently influential player at five-on-five.  In other words, at the NHL level, does he wind up as a Shayne Gostisbehere (great on the PP, limited elsewhere), or can he find more for himself?  As much as I love his profile, there are times that, even in three-on-three, it feels as though he struggles to leverage his obviously shimmering tools into actually getting things done on a shift in, shift out basis.

After Detroit's relatively quiet July 1, I wonder whether Rychlovsky (whom Detroit signed in June after a standout season with with Bílí Tygři Liberec in the Czech Extraliga) might be a player who could compete for an opening night NHL roster spot.  With Tyler Motte and Vladimir Tarasenko now rounding out the forward group, I no longer expect that to be the case, and it is probably for the best for a player who has yet to play a competitive game on North American ice.

"He's been here for about a week, just getting to know everybody," said Cleary of Rychlovsky. "I really like him...Quite, strong little guy. I was friends with someone who was coaching him in Czech [sic], so he kinda reached out...Watching him skate, handle the puck, move it, he's a driven young kid, so we'll see how it goes. Going from the Czech league to let's just say Grand Rapids is a bit of an adjustment."

He is a good skater with a frame built to protect the puck, and I thought he showed a real offensive maturity in the three-on-three sessions.  A tournament like that is bound to produce a lot of odd-man rushes, and I was impressed with the poise and patience Rychlovsky to manipulate those to his advantage.  I did notice him struggling a bit with picking up pucks along the wall during drills that required that, which he will need to sharpen to maximize his effectiveness at the NHL level, but that shouldn't be a problem with time.

One point of curiosity for me is how often Rychlovsky seemed comfortable holding up play and looking to preserve possession rather than keep attacking.  Of course, that's a tactic we see all the time in three-on-three in the NHL, but not so often at five-a-side. I'll be curious to see whether that is an area that requires adjustment in adapting to North America or whether he'll find a way to make it work.

As the son of Kris, Kienan Draper (a 2020 seventh round pick) is a player with a reputation that precedes him, but it's one he's beginning to shed in favor of his own identity.  You could see it in switching from his father's number 33 to 11 at camp, or just in his physical frame.  "Kienan's a big kid," said Cleary with an impish grin. "Much bigger than his dad, let me tell ya."

"He is aces across the board in terms of character, work ethic, drive, everything, and I think his skating's really improved," he added more earnestly.  "He's a super strong guy...After the Christmas break [at Michigan], his confidence just got better, his game got better.  He really found a nice niche in that lineup, and he became a really important part of Michigan.  Going into this year, he's even going to have a bigger role.  I think for Kienan, it's just going to be the confidence...I think Kienan's gonna have a good season, but his development path has gone in a nice steady incline."

I've been able to watch lots of Draper during his first two seasons at U of M, and I would completely agree with Cleary's assessment.  In the second half, Michigan found its identity and transformed its season with a newfound relentlessness on the forecheck, and Draper was a big part of making that happen.  Even on the level of technical skills, Draper has made huge strides.  The aptitude he shows as a skater and puck carrier is night and day relative to where he was even at this time last year.

It will still be an uphill climb to becoming an NHL contributor, but as Cleary said, from a trajectory perspective, there's a ton to like.

Cleveland scored the tournament-winning goal for Team Watson, which is perhaps a shade ironic since it's his game with the puck on his stick that will wind up determining whether he can become an NHL player.  As a six-foot-five fluid skating defenseman, he is dripping with upside, but at this point, he simply doesn't handle the puck with the comfort and aptitude necessary to be a functional NHL D man.

However, I do love the move he's making from the University of Wisconsin to Colorado College this year.  At Wisco, Cleveland played on the grittiest, most defensive team in a conference full of youth and skill.  At CC under coach Kris Mayotte, that dynamic will more or less invert, and Cleveland will play for a skilled, possession team in college hockey's grittiest, most competitive league.  I think it could be the perfect environment for Cleveland to get what he needs.

Finnie was one of the clear standouts from the three-on-three sessions.  He kept driving quality chances, and he kept scoring.  To Cleary, it was consistent with the season Finnie just had with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers: "I feel like he grew each time I would meet him.  Started getting bigger then me, his chest fills out...He's quiet, but he moves well...He's smart.  He's gonna have a nice season in Kamloops and then we'll see."

The 2023 seventh rounder isn't the biggest player out there or the most skilled, but his speed and work rate are exemplary, and he has a shot not to be trifled with.  At this point, for me, the biggest question, if he is indeed to become an NHLer, is whether he can earn his way into deploying those skills in a top six role or will have to change his game a bit to make a go of it in a depth role.  It's a transition lots of high-scoring junior players have to make to earn an NHL roster spot, and I'll be curious to see how Finnie goes about it.

Born in July 1998, Johannes was the oldest prospect at camp, and one of just two players holding it down for those born in the 20th century.  That's an obvious qualifier for his performance, given his advantage in terms of physical maturity, but nonetheless Johannes impressed, especially in the three-on-three tournament.  He scored three goals across the event, but he also helped Team Watson prevail with his commitment on the back check and willingness to win pucks along the walls.

Cleary said that there were some players he had to remind not to go crazy out there in what was essentially an intra-squad scrimmage, and based on what I've seen from Johannes, I have to imagine he was one of those, and I say that as a compliment.

In all likelihood, his ceiling may well be as an effective AHL grinder (largely limited by skating), but he's got a track record of earning more for himself by being an absolute bear to play against with some scoring touch to round out his profile.  In college, he began at American International, where he earned a bigger opportunity via transfer at what was essentially an NCAA start-up at Lindenwood.  He turned that into a chance to finish his career at North Dakota, where on a team littered with NHL draft picks, he forced his way into a meaningful role and scored at about a point-a-game pace.  Any undrafted player is an NHL long-shot these days, but Johannes has experience earning his way up the ranks.

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