With the 9th pick in the first round, the Detroit Red Wings drafted Nate Danielson, a center from the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings
With the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Detroit Red Wings selected Nate Danielson, a center from the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings.
Danielson is a strong skater renown for his 200-foot game. He scored 33 goals and 45 points (both team highs) in 68 games in his draft year with the Wheat Kings. Danielson also captained Brandon in his draft year, a nice bonus for an already "toolsy" selection.
"We like the fact that he's a big, two-way centerman, and we can see him playing in all situations," Steve Yzerman said of the selection to Emily Kaplan on ESPN's broadcast.
The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy wrote of the 18-year-old: "Danielson is interesting because he's a lot more advanced defensively than most players his age. He's a 200-foot center who put up 78 points on a weaker team that finished with a losing record. Scouts estimated that he would have produced even more with a stronger surrounding cast, so if you believe in the offense, he's a player with a lot of upside despite being one of the oldest first-time eligible players in the draft (his September 27th birthday means he missed last year's draft by less than two weeks)."
Danielson won't be ready for the NHL right away, but with their last two first round selections (Danielson and Marco Kasper), the Red Wings have taken a significant step toward solidifying their center depth for years to come.