The Detroit Red Wings picked center Nate Danielson and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka over the course of the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft last night, and they’re going to be very busy this morning as the 2nd through 7th rounds kick off at 11 AM EDT (on the NHL Network, Sportsnet and TVA Sports):
DAY TWO.
⏰: 11:00am EST
📺: @NHLNetwork, @ESPNPlus
💻: https://t.co/QEx4q5doIc pic.twitter.com/kSGE2Rg9FV— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 29, 2023
The Red Wings held a draft party last night at Little Caesars Arena (inside, due to bad air quality from Canadian wildfire soot):
Hockeytown always shows up. 🙌
Who stopped by last night’s #NHLDraft party at Little Caesars Arena?! pic.twitter.com/z3mKOTJ23j— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 29, 2023
I posted a massive wrap-up of the media’s takes on the Wings’ first two picks late last night, and it’s worth a scrolling-through;
This morning, as The Athletic, Daily Faceoff and FloHockey examine the best players still available over the course of rounds 2 through 7, MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the Wings’ first-round haul as framed by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman…
Danielson (6-2, 186) is described as a good all-around center, a right-shooter who takes pride in his defensive play and has offensive upside. He named captain of the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings at age 17 and tallied 33 goals and 78 points in 68 games last season.
“He’s got pretty good size, he’s a good skater, he’s got good skills,” Yzerman said. “A lot to like about him really. Just a solid all-around prospect.”
Connor Bedard, the generational talent selected first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, described Danielson as his toughest defender in the WHL.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve always taken pride in playing against the other team’s best players and try and shut them down,” Danielson told media at Bridgestone Arena. “That’s just sort of how I’ve played all my life, just being responsible and knowing when to take off and when to hang back a little farther.”
…
Sandin Pellikka (5-11, 180) was rated as one of the top offensive defensemen in the draft. He split last season between Skelleftea’s junior team (16 goals, 36 points in 36 games) and the men’s team (two goals, five points in 22 games).
“He skates well, he’s got good puck skills, he’s got very good hockey sense,” Yzerman said. “A little bit different than what we have in our system. We think he’s a good fit.”
Sandin Pellikka said it was great joining an organization that has a rich history of Swedish players, singling out Nicklas Lidstrom. He said he’s at his best when, “I have the puck as much as I can and I’m just playing with confidence.”
The Free Press’s Helene St. James spoke with both Yzerman and Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper about Danielson and Sandin Pellikka…
Danielson (6-foot-2, 186 pounds) led Brandon (Western Hockey League) in goals (33), assists (45), points (78), powerplay goals (13) and short-handed goals (three), and tied for the lead in game-winning goals (five) in 68 games. He’s dynamic and trustworthy, the type of player coaches love because he’ll do what is asked and do it responsibly.
“He’s a guy that plays in all situations,” Draper said. “He plays the game the right way. He’s an impressive young man the way he talks, the way he presents himself. We feel we have a player that’s real passionate towards the game. Last year we added Marco in the first round, a centerman, and this year we were able to add Nate. We’re trying to get some centers, trying to build through the middle, and it’s another piece for us going forward.”
…
There’s a nice bit of symmetry in that Sandin Pellikka (5-11, 180) was taken with the draft pick the Wings got when they traded right-shot defenseman Filip Hronek.
“It was important to find a right-shot D and what we felt was the right kind of right-shot D,” Draper said. “We really like his hockey sense, we really like his poise with the puck. He was another impressive young man the way he speaks.
“He was 17 years old, he played in the World Juniors, by the end of the tournament, he was running the power play, a big part of it. That was the thing you just kept coming back to, is he’s really smart, he knows how to manage the game, he knows how to manage the puck, he has deception with it, and he really moves well on the offensive blue line as well. We felt it was something that was important to bring into the prospect pool. We don’t have a lot of right shot d-men, either.”
And Kirkland Crawford will be following the 2nd through 7th rounds on Twitter.
I’m running on four hours of sleep after last night’s marathon first round, so I’m hoping that the 2nd through 7th rounds go a little more quickly as I have a therapy appointment at 3 PM!
