Wings make history, draft Norwegian Brandsegg-Nygard in first round
Ted Kulfan
Detroit — The Red Wings made a bit of history Friday with their first-round pick in Las Vegas.
The Wings selected center Michael Brandsegg-Nygard with the 15th pick overall at the Sphere. Brandsegg-Nygard is the first Norwegian to ever be selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
"It means a lot," said Brandsegg-Nygard of being a first-round pick. "I know Mats Zuccarello (current NHL player from Norway) was a role model for me and seeing a Norwegian guy play in the NHL. It's cool hopefully to mean being a role model for young players back in Norway and help hockey be more popular in Norway.
"It's pretty cool, an Original Six team and it has a lot of history. It's just a cool team."
More:NHL Draft: Michigan State's Levshunov taken No. 2 overall by Blackhawks
Brandsegg-Nygard has a professional body already, at 6-foot-1, 207 pounds and is the type of prospect the Wings have focused on in recent years. He's a two-way right wing who is as responsible on the defensive end as he is offensively, with a hard shot and good playmaking ability. He's a physical player who searches for contact with that strong body and plays with an edge.
Some scouting services viewed Brandsegg-Nygard as one of the best forecheckers in the draft class.
"I feel like I can get into the defenseman's body and push him away and pop up and somewhere in the offensive zone and get the puck and shoot," Brandsegg-Nygard said. "On the forecheck, I feel good to get into the defenseman and hit them and get the puck back."
Brandsegg-Nygard had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 41 games with Mora IK in the Swedish Elite League. He had five points (three goals, two assists) in five games representing Norway in international competition.
"Probably my shot," said Brandsegg-Nygard about what his best skill is. "I feel comfortable with my shot."
Ranked No. 5 by NHL Central Scouting international skaters, Brandsegg-Nygard eclipsed forward Marius Holtet, a Norwegian who was picked 42nd overall (second-round) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by Dallas.
"Michael is one of the best prospects from Norway for years," said Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen, NHL director of European scouting for NHL.com. "He makes good decisions with the puck and can see the ice very well. He looks very confident and poised with the puck. He is strong on his skates and has fair first-step quickness He has smooth hands and his wrister is dangerous."
Brandsegg-Nygard will stay in Sweden next season and play with Skelleftea, on the same team as last year's Wings' first-round pick, defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka.
"He said it's a great organization and he loves to be here (Red Wings)," Brandsegg-Nygard said. "It's cool I got drafted by the same team."
@tkulfan
2024 NHL Entry Draft
▶ Where: Sphere, Las Vegas
▶ When: Saturday, (Rounds 2-7)
▶ Time: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
▶ TV: NHL Network
▶ Red Wings picks: The Red Wings currently have picks in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds, as well as Dallas' fourth-round pick and New Jersey's seventh-rounder.
Round 1
1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University
2. Chicago Blackhawks: Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State
3. Anaheim Ducks: Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa
4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat
5. Montreal Canadiens: Ivan Demidov, RW, Russia
6. Utah Hockey Club: Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna
7. Ottawa Senators: Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary
8. Seattle Kraken: Berkly Catton, C, Spokane
9. Calgary Flames: Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw
10. New Jersey Devils: Anton Silayev, D, Russia
11. Buffalo Sabres: Sam Dickinson, D, London
12. Minnesota Wild: Zeev Buium, D, Denver
13. Philadelphia Flyers: Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph
14. Buffalo: Konsta Helenius, C, Finland
15. Detroit Red Wings: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Sweden
16. St. Louis Blues: Adam Jiricek, D, Czechia
17. Washington Capitals: Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George
18. Chicago Blackhawks (from NYI): Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon
19. Vegas Golden Knights: Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri City
20. New York Islanders (from TBL via CHI): Cole Eiserman, LW, NTDP
21. Montreal Canadiens: Michael Hage, C, Chicago
22. Nashville Predators: Egor Surin, C, Russia
23. Anaheim Ducks: Stian Solberg, D, Norway
24. Utah: Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie
25. Boston Bruins (via DET and OTT): Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrews College
26. Los Angeles Kings: Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor
27. Chicago Blackhawks: Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford
28. Calgary Flames (from VAN): Martvei Gjridin, RW, Muskegon
29. Dallas Stars: Emil Hemming, RW, Finland
30. New York Rangers: Eric Emery, D, NTDP
31. Toronto Maple Leafs (from EDM): Ben Danford, D, Oshawa
32. Edmonton Oilers (from FLA): Sam O'Reilly, RW, London