Michael Brandsegg-Nygård's Underlying Numbers Reveal Strengths and Weaknesses Early On

Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård had a career-best outing Sunday in which he recorded his second career point versus the Winnipeg Jets.

He assisted on a nice passing play with Emmitt Finnie that ended with Finnie scoring Detroit's second goal and pulling the Red Wings within one of the Jets, who held on for a 3-2 victory.

The two linemates came together once again Tuesday and hoped to build on that performance. They couldn't find the back of the net, but the rest of the Red Wings lineup picked up the slack in a 5-3 win.

Brandsegg-Nygård made his NHL debut at the start of last season but was sent back to the minors after only a couple of games. This year, he appears in line for a much larger role after spending much of last season developing with a record-breaking Grand Rapids Griffins roster in the AHL, and the experience helped the 21-year-old sharpen his tools into a much better player.

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Beyond his lone assist, the raw numbers are encouraging as he has ten shots on goal, including a career-high six on Sunday, and his 18 shot attempts are the third most on the team, trailing only Alex DeBrincat by two and Lucas Raymond by three.

He is also tied for the team lead with 11 hits, alongside Keegan Kolesar and Michael Rasmussen. His underlying stats are just as impressive, ranging from above average to high end.

The Norwegian winger's hardest shot this season clocked in at 84.25 miles per hour, which lands in the 83rd percentile in the NHL. His chances have also come from dangerous areas, with five of his ten shots on goal coming in high-danger situations, a mark that ranks in the 96th percentile of the league.

Skating has been more of a mixed bag, however, as he's averaging 9.52 miles skated per 60 minutes, 0.15 below the league average, though his most miles in a game came in the breakout performance against Winnipeg, when he covered 2.87 miles, a total in the 66th percentile. 

His speed may need work after turning his game into more of a physical, power-forward style. So far this season, Brandsegg-Nygård has just 14 speed bursts between 18 and 20 miles per hour, nearly six below the league average, and three bursts between 20 and 22 miles per hour, one below average.

If he can improve his skating and keep getting his chances, the goals should eventually follow and could mean a much better Brandsegg-Nygård this season, one who can hopefully break out in a major way while playing in a middle-six role.

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