Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson leads the pipeline, with insiders saying he’s further along in his development than Marco Kasper was at the same point.
As the NHL off-season is almost at a close, some look ahead to the future for some NHL franchises. On a recent episode of the Athletic Hockey Show, hosted by two experienced writers in Max Bultman and Corey Pronman, they broke down and ranked each team's prospect pipeline.
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Our Athletic Hockey Show breakdown of @coreypronman’s pipeline series continues with teams 16-9. Where do the Red Wings fit?
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Bultman added his expertise as a Red Wings Beat Reporter for several years while Pronman is the Senior NHL Prospect Writer at The Athletic.
The pair had Detroit's pipeline just outside the top ten at 11th-best in the NHL. What made the most headlines was who they put a top their list in 2023 9th overall pick Nate Danielson.
The 20-year-old forward is coming off a solid first pro level season with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL, recording 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points through 71 games.
In The Hockey News' recent Yearbook issue, writer Bob Duff pegged Danielson to make the NHL roster this upcoming season. Pronman echoed Duff's sentiments saying that Danielson is showing signs of being an top end forward and has excelled in his first season at the pro level.
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"Still one of the youngest players in the American League, [Danielson] played huge minutes for a good Grand Rapids team, and was I thought really impactful. You love his skating, I think his skill level really pops out whenever you watch him even if the points didn't translate completely to the pro hockey game this year," Pronman explained "You like the way he plays both ways, you like the size and the way I'm looking at this, I still see a lot of the positive indicators."
Pronman would go on to later compare Danielson's game to the play of current Red Wings center Marco Kasper and that Danielson is more advanced offensive at his current stage of development compared to Kasper.
"You look at the points, like to Kasper a year ago, same point in the development, I think, right at the same level and I think you'd argue Danielson even a little more toolsy," Pronman said "[Danielson] could be a really good top six forward, maybe not with the physicality of Kasper, but I think he could have more offense."
The addition of Danielson into the Red Wings lineup could be needed as General Manager Steve Yzerman seemingly hasn't found a better option than veteran James van Riemsdyk for the team's top line left wing spot.
If Pronman is right with his assessment of Danielson's talents, he could be an immediate impact player due to a favorable spot in the lineup right away, seeing meaningful minutes and playing with top end NHL talent in Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. A similar approach is being rumored in Edmonton with the team experimenting with the idea of throwing rookie Isaac Howard on the team's top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
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Danielson's 39 points as an AHL rookie does slightly outnumber Kasper and his 35 points from his rookie campaign with the Griffins the season prior. Last season, Kasper would go on to get the call up to the main roster and instantly make an impact, finishing with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points as a rookie. Danielson will be an intriguing storyline heading into training camp as he may be the next unexpected breakout for the Red Wings this upcoming season.
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