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Red Wings Sign Top Pick Brandsegg-Nygard

Detroit has all first-round picks of Yzerman era under contract

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2 months ago

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Dan Cleary, Red Wings
Dan Cleary likes how driven Red Wings top pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is driven to get better.

The Detroit Red Wings are decisive when it comes to making first-round draft picks and they are equally determined to get them all into the fold as quickly as possible.

On Thursday, the club was agreeing to terms with 2024 top draftee Michael Brandsegg-Nygard on a three-year entry-level contract. The Norwegian forward was signing on the dotted line exactly 13 days after hearing his name called 15th overall by Detroit.

The Wings like what they’ve seen from Brandsegg-Nygard.

“I think he plays a pretty responsible game for a young guy,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “When we all played junior, we worried about scoring. We didn’t check. He’s just got a really well-rounded game to him.

“He’s got a B game I guess you could say ,when he’s not scoring. I just think he’s a guy who could play in all situations. He can play either wing, a lot of different spots on the power play.”

Red Wings director of player development Dan Cleary appreciates the maturity that Brandsegg-Nygard shows when in possession of the puck.

“I like his game,” Cleary said. “Watching him play, you can see he’s strong, protecting the puck, he can shoot it very well.

“Like every young kid, we look at their testing, they’ve got to get stronger, which they will as they get older and more mature. His skating, he knows he’s got to work on it.

“He’s driven to work on it. Those are the ones that will get better.”

Red Wings Have All First-Round Picks Under Contract

Since Yzerman took over as GM in 2019, Detroit has made eight first-round selections. All eight are under contract and remain part of the Red Wings organization.

Defensemen Moritz Seider (2019) and Simon Edvinsson (2021) and winger Lucas Raymond (2020) will all be playing in Detroit next season. Centers Nate Danielson (2023) and Marco Kasper (2022) and goalie Sebastian Cossa (2021) all figure to be performing for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Brandsegg-Nygard (2024) and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka (2023) will also be teammates during the 2024-25 campaign. Both will be suiting up in Sweden for Skelleftea, the reigning SHL champions.

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