Nate Danielson

August 2024 – Danielson has provided a notable scoring touch in the WHL since he was a double underager, but his progression on the scoresheet has been marginal since. Although a mid-season trade to a strong Portland team boosted his production, he has still not exactly scored the lights out at the junior level. The former ninth-overall pick already has NHL-ready passing and backchecking skills and is well-known for his leadership skills and intangibles. He packs a punch in all three zones and is a capable puck carrier in transition. His offensive ceiling at the NHL remains an open question, but his approach suits the pro game and his skill set should translate smoothly. He will be making noise in the Wings’ middle six before too much longer. Ben Gehrels

July 2023 – The Red Wings signed first round pick Danielson to a three year entry level deal. The 9th overall pick in the 2023 draft led his team in scoring with 33 goals and 45 assists in his third season playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. He also served as the team’s captain. “I think just that I’m a well-rounded player,” Danielson admitted. “I play well in all areas of the rink. Offensively very skilled, defensively I’m responsible. I think just that all-around game was a big part of it.”

The smooth skating center plays a complete 200 foot game and his compete level is top notch. He is not flashy but consistent, and is a great transition player due to his long stride and reach. Danielson most likely play one more season for the Wheat Kings before heading to Grand Rapids in the AHL. He has moderate offensive upside and it would not shock me if he becomes a second to third line center with the team in three to four years. Danielson is most certainly worth a roster spot in most dynasty leagues. Evan Sabourin

July 2023 – The Red Wings were looking for scoring at 9th overall, so I was a little confused when they selected Danielson, especially when you consider the other names that were still on the board. But then again, it’s Steve Yzerman, so we shouldn’t be too surprised. Last season the Alberta native led his team in scoring with 33 goals and 45 assists in his third season playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. He also served as the team’s captain. “I think just that I’m a well-rounded player,” Danielson admitted. “I play well in all areas of the rink. Offensively very skilled, defensively I’m responsible. I think just that all-around game was a big part of it.” The smooth skating center plays a complete 200-foot game and his compete level is top-notch. He’s not flashy but consistent. He’s a great transition player due to his long stride combined with a long stick. He’ll most likely play one more season for the Wheat Kings before heading to Grand Rapids in the AHL. He has high offensive upside and it would not shock me if he becomes a second- to third-line center with the team in three-to-four years. He is most certainly worth a roster spot in most dynasty leagues. Evan Sabourin

June 2023 – Danielson has been selected 9th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2023 NHL Draft. Curtis Rines

April 2023 – Danielson has continued to prove himself to be one of the surest bets in this draft, while also showing that there is still a lot of room for him to add tools to his game. Great in transition and incredibly reliable in his own zone, the centre has also displayed the occasional flash of brilliance in the offensive end, whether that’s a pinpoint cross-ice pass or a last-minute angle change on a wrist shot. They remain only flashes and are far from consistent elements of his game, but he’s exploring, and that’s important. The knock on Danielson is that he defaults to safe plays, and is very rarely one for risks. This might be exactly what a contender is looking for, but it will likely limit him from becoming a top-of-the-lineup player. Nonetheless, the value of such a surefire bet to make the NHL has its value in the late teens to mid-twenties. Hadi Kalakeche

September 2022 – Danielson is one of the older players who is eligible for the NHL Draft for the first time in 2023, missing the cutoff for the 2022 draft by just a couple of weeks. He had a productive season with Brandon in the WHL in 2021-22, scoring 23 goals and 43 assists in 53 regular season games before adding another three points in six postseason contests.

Danielson is a mobile two-way pivot with a projectable frame who plays a strong north-south, middle-driven game. He has a compact stride with good ankle flexion, and he gets good extension as he powers through the neutral zone. He distributes the puck well, can finish in tight, and his wrist shot is fairly heavy, but he isn’t a consistently dynamic offensive threat at this point in his development. Danielson can execute difficult passes, and there are flashes of great puck skills, but he doesn’t show creativity or above-average problem-solving skills with a great level of consistency. He is a capable transporter in transition, and though he is still a bit too straight-line oriented to be a regular threat to create offense off the rush, he is sometimes able to power his way around opposing defenders at the junior level. While there are obvious areas of improvement in his offensive game, Danielson is a refined player away from the puck. He competes hard all over the ice, supports the play diligently and helps out down low in his own zone, and he has already proven to be a strong penalty killer in the WHL. He still has to put it all together and continue to diversify his offensive attack, but Danielson has the tools and physical makeup to be an impactful two-way pivot in the NHL someday. Nick Richard