Close, but no cigar. The 2023-24 NHL regular season has come to a close, and the playoffs are about to get underway. The Detroit Red Wings are on the outside looking in – for the eighth straight year – after falling just short on their postseason push. Front office executives will now shift their focus to the upcoming draft in Las Vegas. Barring a miracle in the lottery, Detroit will be making their first selection at pick 15 and will have a wide range of prospects to choose from. General manager Steve Yzerman will have his work cut out for him as he continues to accumulate high-end talent for a team that is still looking to find its identity. Many insiders consider this draft to be relatively deep, especially from a defensive standpoint, something that could play right into Yzerman’s hands as he heads to the podium on June 28th.
The 18-year-old Norwegian has been skyrocketing up draft boards since the start of the 2023-24 HockeyAllsvenskan season. While his overall numbers won’t blow scouts away – 18 points in 41 games with Mora IK – his performance at this year’s World Juniors showed clubs that he has what it takes to succeed at the next level, as he was by far and away Norway’s best player. His high-end motor skills and work ethic have many teams predicting that he’s not that far away from seeing his name on an NHL roster.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound forward projects to be a dependable two-way player with a 200-foot game and has that grit that Detroit has lacked. He won’t back down from physical play and could be a strong asset for a team that struggled on the forecheck. Brandsegg-Nygard also excels at tracking down loose pucks in the offensive zone, and his hockey IQ seems to be well above average. His offensive game won’t leave the Red Wings wanting if he pans out, and he could see playing time in the Motor City as early as the 2025-26 season. I think his pro-level frame, as well as his professional character, will have him go somewhere between picks 10-20.
